Coming Home
by truelovealwaysprevails1
Summary: Damon returns to Falls Church, the home he and his brother grew up in...over a century ago. Life has changed for everyone. It's time for the 10 year high school reunion and everyone is boarding at the Salvatore mansion.
1. The Beginning

**This is my first attempt at any kind of fan fiction. Hold on while the story unfolds...even I don't know where this adventure goes...**

**I own nothing, good God do I wish I did, though...**

As Damon stepped out of his blue mustang, he slid his shades atop his head, taking in the boarding house he last laid eyes on a decade before. To a vampire, of course, this is a blip in time. For some reason, however, coming back to the place he called home, the only place he thought he would ever feel like home to him, the time away seemed 10 times longer than it was.

Stefan opened the front door and walked out onto the broad wooden porch of the Salvatore mansion just outside of Falls Church. Stefan and his wife Caroline had lived in the house for the decade that Damon had been away. Not much had changed to the outside of the house, not physically anyway. With open arms, Stefan descended the porch steps to embrace his brother and welcome him back. Damon happily obliged Stefan and the brothers were locked in a tight, loving embrace quickly.

During their brotherly moment, Caroline walked out onto the front porch with her and Stefan's 2 year old son, Jeremy, attached to her hip. Jeremy had his father's emerald eyes and mother's curly blonde hair. Jeremy Gilbert had died 11 years prior and the aftermath of his death sent shockwaves throughout Falls Church, in more ways than the general population knew about. IN honor of Jeremy Gilbert, Caroline and Stefan named their son after him when they discovered that in fact, vampires can procreate after all.

**_Two years Earlier_**

_Caroline woke up with nausea again. This was day 3 and quite frankly, she was fed up. Thinking perhaps she had drunk tainted blood, she asked Stefan to go downstairs and check their blood supply. _

_As she remained positioned over the toilet, Stefan came up behind her and began rubbing soothing circles on his wife's back, trying his best to ease her discomfort._

_"There's nothing wrong with the blood, Care. I've been drinking the same blood as you and I feel fine." Stefan said, sounding defeated and helpless._

_"Then what's wrong with me? Why can I not keep any amount of blood down?" Caroline managed to get out before another wave of nausea attacked._

_"Wait, has this nausea been happening every time you eat?"_

_"No…just…in the mornings…" suddenly, a look of pure shock, cautious excitement, and joy spread over Caroline's face. "Oh my god. OH MY GOD! I'm…I'm…"_

_"…pregnant." Stefan finished, the same look of total and complete shock registering in his face as well._

_"I thought this wasn't…that I couldn't…huh. Well I guess everyone's been wrong. Vampires CAN procreate."_

_With that, the two fell into one another's arms and Caroline wept. First she finds the man of her dreams in the last place she thought possible, and now her dream of becoming a mother was coming true too. Suddenly, motherly Caroline burst through and she was up and out of a very confused Stefan's arms, rushing to the phone to call Dr. Fell for an official pregnancy test…if that was even possible for a vampire._

_While Caroline was busy calling everyone with the assumed news, Stefan pulled out his phone and dialed the only number he knew his wife would forget. Wanting Damon to find out from someone with a normal tone of voice, he dialed his brother._

_ "Aww. Steffy poo. You miss me?" Damon's sarcastic voice came through the line after only 1 ring._

_"Why of course, brother, keeper of my soul. Actually I figured you'd want to hear it from me rather than some blubbering girl, Caroline is…."_

_Suddenly there was an ear drum bursting squeal and Stefan knew he'd been too late. Damon told Stefan to hold on and after a minute came back saying, "How in the HELL is this even possible? Care is PREGNANT?! That means…"_

_"You're gonna be an uncle, brother"_

_"Uncle Damon. I like it. Thanks for at least trying to save my eardrums. Too bad this time you were too late. I better go console the squealing girl in the other room. Congrats, bro. I'm…uh, proud of you."_

_"Thanks Damon, I'll talk to you later."_

_ And with that the brothers hung up, and everything had changed, again._

Jeremy saw his daddy hugging his uncle Damon and started squealing "Unkie Damon!" while trying to get out of his mother's grasp to get to the uncle he didn't remember meeting but knew about through pictures and his parents. Damon released his grasp on his baby brother and took in for the first time in almost two years the miracle that changed everyone's life. Caroline finally put Jeremy down at the bottom of the stairs and he ran as fast as his little legs could carry him into the arms of his daddy who promptly hoisted him up and introduced his son to his brother.

"Jeremy, remember your mommy and I talking to you about and showing you pictures of your Uncle?"

"Yep." Jeremy responded, popping the 'P'.

"Well here I am, squirt." Damon interjected and was surprised when he found himself being "tackled" by his two year old nephew. Literally tackled.

"Sweet Jesus this kid of yours is strong, Stef." Damon said as he struggled to get out from under his nephew.

"Yeah…about that, he's got the strength of two vampires right now. Guess I should have warned you, sorry." And with that Stefan pried his son off of his big brother, fighting the smirk that sprung to his face to the sight of a full grown, much older vampire being bested by a toddler.

"Meredith said she'd need to do more research, but from what she's gathered, Jeremy's strength will diminish as he grows up until his strength is that of a human when he reached adolescence."

"Um, Stef, _will_ he grow up? And what is he, exactly?"

"I'm a boy, just like your Unkie Damon." Jeremy replied.

"Well, I figured that much, squirt. I would hope that your mommy and daddy wouldn't name their daughter Jeremy."

Stefan set down Jeremy and told him to go play inside and that Damon would be in soon to play too. Jeremy ran to his mommy, still standing on the porch, and motioned for her to pick him up. As she did, she waved to Damon and said "It's really good to see you Damon. It'll be nice to have you around for a little while. Come on Jeremy; let's go find that train set in the disaster area of a room of yours…"

With only Stefan and Damon left standing outside, Stefan answered as honestly as he could. "We really aren't sure _what_ he is, but he's not a full vampire. He eats regular food and travels, as you saw, at human speed. He does have fangs, however, so there's a chance that as his strength decreases, his other vampire traits may make themselves known. There's simply nothing to base any of this on. All we know is he's happy, healthy, and growing at a human rate. With any luck, he'll stop growing when he becomes an adult. If not, I suppose…."

"Yeah, let's not go there until we have to. One dead Jeremy is enough for a good…oh, 80 years."

"Agreed."

"So tell me brother, how's fatherhood treating you? Does the fact that you don't need sleep help?..."

As Damon continued his questioning, Stefan clapped him on the shoulder and the two brothers walked side by side into the mansion they grew up in over a century ago. Damon was home, finally.


	2. The Leaving Was Easy

The sun streaked through the window, illuminating the dark room and the auburn highlights in the brunette's hair as she shifted uncomfortably in her sleep as she felt the sun's rays beating down on her cold skin. With a grumble, she sat up and took in her surroundings. Her bedroom, like herself, was cold, empty, and lonely. Stretching she hopped off of her king sized bed and padded into the bathroom to take a shower. This was her normal routine, except that today she stopped in front of her mirror, taking in the sight that was Elena Gilbert. The woman in the mirror was wearing and oversized blue t-shirt with "Salvatore" printed across the back in white lettering. Her hair was a tangled mess, no doubt a result from yet another night of terrifying dreams. Every night it was a different heartbreaking scenario unfolding again and again in front of her eyes: Jeremy being drained of blood, Jeremy's corpse set ablaze, and…the aftermath. She couldn't bring herself to delve into the bottomless black hole that was the months after Jeremy's death leading up to graduation day.

Quickly looking away she stepped into the glass-walled shower and tried to clean herself of the feelings those dreams left her with each and every morning for the past decade. She didn't want to remember anymore, but she didn't want to forget, either.

**_Ten years earlier…_**

_The moment she got her diploma, Elena made up her mind. Fell's Church was a wasteland to her. She wanted nothing but to get as far away from as possible and never return. The tricky part was sneaking away without anyone knowing her plans, especially Stefan and…__**him**__. They were both constantly watching over her since she flipped her switch and she was rather annoyed with the both of them. _

_So for a week, Elena snuck around packing her things up little by little as to not alarm either Salvatore to her plans until finally, on a sunny Saturday morning in early June, she was gone. She didn't even bother looking back…_

…until today. Today was the 10 year anniversary of that day when she shut out the people who loved her and found a new home without their overbearing desires and constant presence. It took her three years to finally be able to turn on her emotions again and when she did, there were indeed consequences…

**_Damon, Ten years ago…_**

_Damon woke up to the eerie silence of the boarding house. Usually Elena would be in the shower of the guest suite she'd taken up residence in since letting go of her humanity. This morning, silence; deafening silence._

_Getting out of bed, he padded down the hall to Stefan's room to check and see if maybe he had left, since usually you could hear Stefan's brooding from a mile away. Alas, Stefan laid asleep, his girlfriend in his arms asleep as well._

_Damon decided to check on Elena, assuming she was also out like a light, but when he opened the door to her bedroom, all he could do was stare. There was not one trace of her in that room. He rushed to the bathroom and the same scene greeted him: emptiness. Without hesitation, Damon threw on a black tee and jeans, grabbed his car keys and hit the road to find her. Elena was gone, in more ways than anyone thought possible._

"Unkie Damon, how do you spell 'Love'?" Jeremy asked as he sat with Damon on the carpet in the library of the Salvatore mansion the next morning.

"Hmm…I think it's 'S-T-U-'"

"DAMON." Caroline scolded from the doorway.

"Sorry Blondie, I just wanted to teach him now rather than let his little heart get broken one day."

"Well until he starts dating, I don't want you putting negative images into his mind about love. Stefan and I are proof that it isn't stupid."

"Fine fine fine, Jer, it's 'L-O-V-E'." Damon finally spit out.

"Thanks Unkie Damon." Jeremy said as he continued squiggling on his paper with a crayon.

"…and love is stupid." Damon mumbled under his breath.

"I HEARD THAT!" Caroline yelled from the kitchen.

"I HOPE SO, BLONDIE!" Damon yelled in response. He got up and messed Jeremy's hair up before heading back to his bedroom to…mope? Sulk? Eh, just get drunk.

* * *

Elena emerged from the shower and quickly dressed in a dark blue top with black lace and tight black leggings paired with dark blue heels. Coming out of her bedroom, Elena was met with a very wet, very cold, very slobbery Newfoundland that had stolen her heart 5 years prior. She lovingly named the beast, Dino, after the dinosaur from the Flintstones. It was love at first woof. Petting Dino as she approached the kitchen, Elena tossed him a rawhide bone and approached the fridge for a morning…warm up.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Dino went wild. If she weren't a vampire, she couldn't have gotten to the door before Dino attacked it with all 150 pounds of his love and affection. Opening the stained glass door, she saw her best friend in the whole world on her doorstep: Bonnie Bennett. Bonnie's curly red hair bounced as she skipped into the house as if she lived there, leaving Elena to roll her eyes at the enthusiasm her shorter, much more human, best friend had. She was a ray of fucking sunshine.

"Well aren't you just a ray of fucking sunshine." Elena grumbled as Bonnie sat down on the red velvet couch in the living room of the small mansion Elena called home these days.

Dino hopped up beside Bonnie and before Elena knew what was happening, Bonnie had disappeared beneath the giant dog's black fur. Giggles could be heard from the fur so Elena knew Bonnie was getting a proper greeting from Dino. A wet, slobbery greeting.

Once the fur settled, Bonnie swiped her red curls off of her forehead and said, "Well, someone around here has to make up for the gloomy atmosphere you have these days. Besides, I have some amazing news, you will NEVER believe it!"

"Oh joy. Do tell, Bonnie." Elena sighed as she took a seat on the green velvet couch across from her best friend.

"Ok, so you know that our 10 year high school reunion is this month, right?"

"Oh God. No Bonnie. The answer is NO. N-O. I am not ever going back to Fell's Church, not unless I have a stake through my heart. You know how I feel about that whole town. It's nothing more than a wasteland of pain to me."

"Yes, Elena, I am more than aware of how much you loathe even the thought of returning, but there is someone who will be there that I really think you're going to want to, no scratch that, HAVE to see."

"Oh really, and pray tell Bonnie, who is this magical mystery person?" Elena asked, taking a sip of the bourbon she had left in the living room the night prior. Since she wasn't going to be able to drink the real stuff, alcohol would have to suffice until Bonnie left. Ever since she watched Jeremy get drained of blood, Bonnie had made it clear she never wanted to see anyone drink blood in front of her again.

"Alaric." Bonnie practically squealed as Elena spit out all the alcohol in her mouth.

"How in the holy hell…"

"He…well, he didn't die. I mean, he did, but then he didn't? Ugh. Anyways, that night when you and Matt drove off the bridge…I may or may not have performed a spell to bring Alaric back to life…sort of."

"Are you saying that all this time, Alaric's been alive?"

"No…up until about 5 years ago I couldn't figure out how to uh…totally bring him back."

"What? You are making no sense, Bon." Elena's confusion was growing by the minute.

"Elena, he was a zombie. Until five years ago when I figured out the other half of the spell to bring him totally back. He ate brains and everything."

"Okay, Bon. Are you feeling alright? I mean, I know our lives have been filled with the supernatural…but zombies? I cannot get on board with that. How? Why?" Elena eyed her friend suspiciously.

"Well apparently only witches can create zombies and it's only if they don't know the full spell to bring someone back to life…like me." Bonnie said as she looked down at her feet, clearly ashamed.

"Ok, Bon, so let me get this straight. My history teacher, Damon's best friend and drinking buddy has been alive in one form or another this whole time? And you never said anything to anyone because….?"

"Because he made me swear not to, Elena. He didn't want anyone to see him like that."

"OK. But what about the past 5 years? He's been a fully functioning human, right?"

"Right. But he's had to readjust to life and I kind of lost track of him these past 5 years. But now he's back and he's going to be at the reunion." Bonnie said, getting more excited and enthused with each word.

*sigh* "I will think about it, Bonnie. Give me a day or two. I will CONSIDER it…"

"Hooray! The reunion's in two weeks so I'm heading out a week early to catch up with the gang before the festivities really get going. You and I could totally go together…if you decide to go, of course." Bonnie said, reigning in her excitement as she realized that Elena hadn't quite said yes…yet.

**Later that day…**

Alaric was alive. Hmm. Why in the hell didn't Bonnie do the same thing with Jeremy? The question lingered in Elena's mind as evening came around. Elena had spent the day after Bonnie left, weighing her pros and cons to attending what was sure to be a disastrous reunion.

On the one hand, Alaric was now the only family she had left. On the other hand…_he_ would be there. Of course he would, probably with his wife and from what she'd heard about Stefan and Caroline's little "miracle"; Damon could very well be a father too.

Elena missed everyone, she didn't miss the town of Fell's Church, but she did miss her friends. Bonnie had kept Elena's secret ever since she tracked her down 9 years prior using a locator spell that she claimed to everyone else failed. To say that Elena was shocked the first time she opened her door and was greeted with red curls flying at her in anger, was an understatement.

_"How DARE you just run away like that?! Did you not think I would find you? HELLO?" The red head screamed as she weakly beat up her best friend. Elena took the slaps like a champ; she hardly felt them, really. She was surprised at how…happy she felt when she saw her freckle-faced friend had come for her. However, in the next moment, Elena was in a panic._

_"Oh, don't worry, I did the locator spell, found you, and told everyone else that it didn't work. Of course, I then proceeded to hop into my car and fly over here to properly kick your vampire ass."_

_A sigh of relief escaped Elena's lips at that and she openly embraced her best friend, surprising Bonnie for a moment before she returned the hug. From then on, Bonnie was Elena's only connection to the life, and people, she left behind._

The next morning, Bonnie's cell phone rang. She struggled out of bed and answered when she saw that it was Caroline.

* * *

"Elena's coming to the reunion, isn't she?" Caroline asked, hopeful to see her friend.

"I haven't gotten a definitive yes from her yet, but I think telling her Alaric was coming helped."

"Does she know about…?"

"No, Care, I haven't told her yet. I feel like he should be the one to approach that shit storm of a conversation."

"Agreed. Let's just hope this reunion isn't like all the dances we had in school. They seriously sucked."

"That they did, Care. That they did. I'll see you all in a week, okay?"

"I cannot wait! Bonnie Bennett, you better have a good reason for not dragging Elena back here the minute you found her and decided not to come back to Fell's Church without her. I've missed you. We all have."

"Bye Care."

"Bye Bonbon."

Caroline hung up the phone and turned around only to smack into Damon's chest. How in the hell was he so sneaky in a house full of vampires?

"Caroline…what in the hell is going on?"

"Um…well, Bonnie's coming to the reunion in two weeks!"

"Oh joy, witchy's coming back to torture me again." Damon sarcastically said as he glared at Caroline. "Now, would you mind telling me who the hell you two were talking about dragging here for the reunion?"

"You heard that…well," Caroline hesitated, unable to decide whether to drop the bomb or not. Fortunately Stefan appeared at that moment with a sleepy Jeremy in his arms.

"Hey guys, Care would you mind putting Jer here down for his nap? I need to talk to my brother. He deserves to know."

Caroline's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. She gladly took her son from her husband's arms and evacuated the room with vampire speed, making Jeremy squeal with delight.

"Okay, Stef. Spit it out. No wait, let me guess…Alaric's alive?"

"Holy…how did you know?"

"Witchy blabbed. She told me to go to the Mystic Grill at 8 pm last night. Who was sitting in his old seat but my best friend? I haven't had a chance to ask many questions and Alaric doesn't really remember much, but I am just overly glad that I have my drinking buddy back, sans the vampire-hunter tendencies." Damon smirked as he recalled the horrors that "Evil Alaric" reaped upon them all so many years ago.

"Well then, I guess there's nothing more to say. Have a good night, Damon."

Damon stopped Stefan as he reached for the door. "Who else is coming back, Stefan? Is she?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you. I'm kept in the dark about the goings on between Care, Bonnie and Elena. I've learned to simply not ask since I have never gotten a response from either Bonnie or Caroline on the topic."

"Well it'll be a relief if she stays away." Damon said as he looked down into his tumbler of bourbon.

"Will it, brother? Or will you fall back into the depression she left you in ten years ago?"

"I don't care about her anymore, Stefan. The minute she walked out on me, on us, on everyone, damn it, she died in my eyes. Turning off your humanity is one thing; abandonment is a totally different kick to the face. She's never tried to contact me, I can't even get witchy to answer her phone just to know if Elena's alive, and it's been 10 years. 10 years of hopelessness, loneliness, and searching. I'm done looking; I'm done feeling for that heartless wench. She turned out much more like Katherine than either of us thought possible."

"Damon-"

"And another thing, why the hell does witchy get to see her every day when we're all left here with nothing but questions."

"Damon, Bonnie's going to be here in a week. Ask her all of this then, ok?"

"Fine."

With that the brothers left the room, not knowing how much would change in two short weeks.

* * *

**Five days later…**

Bonnie's phone rang just as she was finishing dinner for her and her boyfriend Matt. She answered on the second ring when she saw it was Elena. Crossing her fingers, she said hello.

"Bon, I'm coming with you. It's time I stopped running from my problems, from the people who I hurt the most. They deserve better. Let's do this. I want to do this."

"Oh my god! Yay! Elena we are going to have so much fun…seriously. We'll get all the crappy stuff over with on day one and then partay the rest of the time there."

"Sounds overly optimistic, as usual in regards to you, but I'm in. See you tomorrow?"

"Hell yeah. Matt's coming too. I'll tell him when he gets here for dinner. He will be so excited to see you again!" Elena had dated Matt before…well, everything supernatural. She thought he and Bonnie were the most perfect match she'd ever seen. Ever since being crowned prom king and queen, the sparks had flown and they'd been inseparable ever since. The only thing that they didn't discuss was the whereabouts of Elena. Matt knew she was nearby, but he could never figure out just where Elena was. Atlanta was a big city, after all.

* * *

Elena had just hung up the phone after telling Bonnie she would go…reluctantly, to their reunion when she heard a knock at the door and cautiously approached it. Dino was passed out in the bedroom from chasing cats all day while Elena ran errands and tried to clear her mind of _his_ face. Typically at the first sign of people, Dino was a crazy mess of black fur, but not this time. Strange.

She opened the door and fainted when she realized who was standing on her front porch. Fortunately, the man caught her before she hit the floor, shaking his head as he gazed down at the brunette in his arms.


	3. Going Back to the Beginning

**Chapter 3: Going Back to the Beginning**

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Elena Gilbert. Elena fell hopelessly, irrevocably in love with a man. This man loved her from the moment he laid eyes on her and gave his snarky opinion of what she wanted out of life. They didn't agree on very much, especially when it came to keeping her safe, but he didn't mind being seen as the bad guy, as long as she was safe. He watched for a year while Elena dated his brother and then, with some sick kind of pleasure, watched his brother throw away an angel. Naturally this man stepped in to compensate for the absence of his baby bro, but he realized that summer that his dreams could come true. Little by little, he saw her walls come crumbling down as she realized how much more alike her and this man were than her and his brother. Through the cloak of finding and stopping the man's younger brother, they built an irreversible bond.

But at the end of the day, Elena was still his brother's girl. It would always be his brother…until she died. Then everything changed. They got their chance and for one fleeting night, he got to show her just how precious she was to him and how much love he had in his long-dead heart for this one woman.

As quickly as their romance began, it was smothered out. He didn't even get one selfish day with her! Then the angel's brother died and…everything just fell to sh- apart. Elena turned into Katherine 2.0 (no thanks to the man and his stupid use of this thing called a sire bond) and humans started dropping like flies.

The week after graduation everything was calm until one day that angel that the man would do anything for, spread her wings and flew away, never to be seen again. The End.

"That's a really sucky bedtime story, Unkie Damon." Jeremy said and then let out a large yawn, exposing his fangs and surprising the crap out of Damon.

"Well, it's the best I had, buddy. Next time I'll have more time to prepare an epic tale, ok?"

"Sure, sure. Nighty night Unkie Damon." And with that, Jeremy closed his emerald eyes and slept like any other two year old…whose parents were both vampires…

Damon was still trying to wrap his head around this little boy in front of him, snoring just like his father. Wait a minute…didn't Stefan tell him when he arrived that Jeremy wouldn't get fangs until adolescence? Was his baby brother that unobservant? Blondie? Something was up…

"You know, in most countries watching another's child sleep is considered pedophilia."

"Alaric. Shut the hell up." Damon grumbled as he turned to see his best friend leaning against the door frame of Jeremy's room.

"I take it by the look on you face that you noticed the fangs too." Alaric said nodding toward Jeremy's sleeping form.

"Yeah…can I just take this moment to thank you for not coming back as a vampire hunter? No offense, but you were quite the ass hat."

"None taken, I was, but I wasn't really me, now was I? You're welcome anyway, even though I did…never mind. Are we going out or what?"

"Blondie and lover boy haven't gotten home yet, so for now, we're still on babysitting duty."

"Oh oh oh, maybe if neither of us finds someone else, we can be…_his_ gay uncles…GUNCLES!" Alaric said with just a little too much enthusiasm for Damon's liking.

Alaric refused to call Jeremy by his name. One of the first things he and Damon talked about when they were gloriously reunited was the death of one Jeremy Gilbert. Thank god for alcohol or they both would have been sloppy crying messes. As it was, they still ended up messes, just of the drunk persuasion.

"No, no no no, and did I mention, NO!" Damon said as he quickly tried to get past Alaric using his vampire speed. By the time Alaric heard him, Damon was already downstairs fixing himself another bourbon.

Just as Alaric reached the bottom of the stairs, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." Alaric said as he reached for the door. He knew who was behind this door, had planned it all out, but still wanted an authentic reaction from Damon when he opened that door and either devastated or completed his best friend's life, so he played along as if he didn't know what was about to come through that door...

* * *

Bonnie finished packing just about everything but the kitchen sink and was beginning to hand the bags over to Matt to pack into their car when she heard her phone ringing. Seeing that it was Elena and fearing that the vampire had chickened out, she answered.

"Elena Gilbert, you are-"

"Bonnie's something's come up. I won't be coming to Falls Church today. I'll be there tomorrow though, I promise." Elena said in a stoic tone.

"Elena? Oh hell no…I'm coming over there right now." With that, she got on her vintage bike and pedaled her way across town to rescue her best friend from…herself?

When she arrived at Elena's house, an unfamiliar car was parked in front. Bonnie used her witch senses to try to detect if anything was amiss. She felt nothing so she proceeded to use the key Elena had given her and entered la casa de Gilbert. The next thing she knew, Alaric was standing before her, a stoic looking Elena standing right behind him.

"What the hell have you done, Alaric?" Bonnie thundered as she pushed past him and went to her best friend's aid.

"Elena fainted when she opened the damn door and saw me. Anyways…I have a plan, Bonnie. Damon was miserable the other day when we miraculously reunited. Even though he won't admit it, it's obvious his life is meaningless without Elena in it. How you've allowed them to remain separated is beyond me."

"Have you met vampire Elena?" Bonnie skeptically asked.

"I have now. I need your help now to fix this problem that is sure to destroy any chance of a happy reunion. Please?" Alaric begged with puppy dog eyes.

"Oh my God. Fine. What do you need from me? And stop looking at me like I just killed a Panda Bear. Gah…" Bonnie rolled her eyes at Alaric's over dramatics.

"Fantastic, here's the deal…"

* * *

"I still don't understand how I fainted…vampires _never_ faint." Elena complained from the back seat of the car. Matt and Bonnie simply looked at one another and shrugged. They'd told Elena they'd be staying with Bonnie's family. They had lied.

"I guess he learned a little magic in the other side." Bonnie stated simply, giving Elena a "let it go" look.

The trio pulled up to the Salvatore mansion and as expected, Elena was furious.

"WHAT THE HELL BONNIE? I THOUGHT WE WERE STAYING AT YOUR FAMILY'S HOUSE! WHAT IS THIS SHIT?!" Elena was beyond furious. She had trusted her best friend to not thrust her into the lion's den right off the bat but here they were.

"You said you wanted to confront your Damons, I mean demons." Bonnie chuckled. "We just decided to make it easier and stay here for the reunion."

"Bonnie Bennett you are going to pay for this. You are SO going to pay…oh and don't think I didn't catch you little purposeful slip up either." Elena warned as she got out of the car, glaring at her best friends.

"Do you mind going ahead and getting the door for us? We'll bring everything in. Don't worry; Damon's car isn't here so he's probably out getting drunk with Alaric or something…" Bonnie reassured.

Grumbling curses at Bonnie, Elena trudged up the stairs of the boarding house she ran out of 10 years prior and rang the doorbell. It didn't seem like much had changed in the 10 years she was gone, everything looked the same as the day she drove away and never looked back.

She heard someone shout "I'll get it." and Alaric himself answered the door, much to Elena's surprise and then dismay. If Alaric was here…

Oh fuck.

Trying not to act like she was feeling, Elena took Alaric into her arms and warmly embraced him while avoiding looking around whatsoever. She could feel _his_ presence and it was making her feel things she hadn't felt since before…

"Jeremy, get back here!" Elena heard Caroline shout from the top of the stairs. The next thing she knew, she was running up the stairs to catch the little boy who had begun to fall down them. He only got down a step before he was in the safety of Elena's arms.

"Pretty lady…" Jeremy said as he looked into her doe brown eyes. Looking into this child's eyes, Elena knew that what she'd heard was true. Jeremy had his daddy's eyes and mommy's hair.

Caroline appeared and squealed when she saw Elena.

"Oh my god, I wasn't sure you'd come! I'm so so glad you did!" Caroline squealed as Elena carried Jeremy down the stairs and places him on the ground.

"Bonnie didn't tell you I was coming?" It was odd for Caroline to not know, Elena thought, seeing as she and Bonnie talked more than once a day. Maybe Bonnie wanted to surprise everyone.

"Nope. Last she told me, you were 'undecided'. You made the right choice though!" Caroline crouched in front of a scared looking Jeremy and said "Don't ever scare mommy like that again, Jer. If you want to go down stairs, you come and get a grown up, okay?"

"Otay mommy." Jeremy mumbled and then wrapped his chubby little arms around his mother's neck as she lifted him into her arms.

"Jeremy, this is Elena. She's like daddy and Uncle Damon."

"Ooo. She's a bampie too! She's the prettiest one I've ever seen, mommy." With that Jeremy reached out and grasped onto Elena's hand. "Fanks for holding me, Ewena."

At the sound of his name, Elena internally cringed, her stomach doing flips as she remembered the man who was still in the room, most likely glaring at her…with her vampire senses she could feel his stare on her back. However, when she heard what Jeremy was saying, Damon was forgotten momentarily again.

"Jeremy definitely has his father's charm, I see" Elena said as she held Jeremy's hand. "You're welcome little guy, but listen to your mommy. No more going down stairs alone. Ok?"

"Yes m'am." With that Caroline went back upstairs with Jeremy in tow.

"I'll be right back after I put this one down for his N-A-P. Then we can talk. You have so much explaining to do, young lady!" Caroline said, motioning with her head toward the toddler in her arms already drifting off.

Then it was just Elena and Damon. For the first time in 10 years Elena had to come face to face with the man she was still desperately in love with but couldn't tell because of the damage she had surely done to them both when she just ran away.

* * *

When the door opened and Elena embraced Alaric, Damon could do nothing but stand there, frozen to the spot. She, of course, looked the same as she did the last time he laid eyes on her, except that the spark of life was back in her eyes. She'd turn her emotions back on at some point in the past decade. Of course she did. Without Damon and Stefan hovering over her, she was able to sort through everything and find herself again.

His Elena was back. But she wasn't ever really his, was she? Now that the sire bond was broken and she was back to Elena, where did they stand? After the damage she'd done to everyone, what did that mean for the weeks ahead? What the hell did any of this mean?

Still frozen to his spot in front of the fireplace, Damon's racing mind distracted him from the interaction taking place between Elena, Caroline, and Jeremy. The next thing he knew, he was alone with Elena. The nuclear-weapon elephant in the room made itself known as Elena shifted uncomfortably from side to side. Damon didn't know what to say, what to do. So, he went off instinct.

"Well well well, looks like little doppelganger decided to grace us with her presence again after a whole decade of silence. Shall I roll out the red carpet, princess?" Damon spit with a smirk plastered to his face. The anger laced within the words he said surprised him, but he wasn't about to let her see a damn thing.

Rolling her eyes, Elena said "I see you're still a snarky ass hat. Nice to know some things never change."

It was then that she finally looked into his cobalt eyes. She was going to make a snarky comment back, but suddenly she couldn't remember how to breathe, blink, or talk. They stood there for what seemed like hours, just staring into each other's eyes, reading one another's souls.

Damon was standing in front of her again and this time, she couldn't wouldn't run away.

**_I own nothing...sadly. Review, comment, whatevs. =)_**


	4. Testing 1, 2, 3

**Chapter Four: Testing 1, 2, 3…**

**_I'm trying something new with this chapter; let's get more personal, shall we? First person, anyone? Let the show begin…I own NADA. _**

_Damon_

When I finally broke the stare, I grunted and went upstairs to my bedroom, brushing Elena's shoulder as I passed. The electricity was still there, hmm, interesting. God help me, this was going to be a hard two weeks. For everyone's sake, I decided I was going to try to avoid her and keep my mouth shut when I couldn't.

Walking into my bedroom, I shut the door and drove onto my bed. All I wanted to do was avoid the company for a few hours, maybe even sleep, and more than anything, just be alone, but alas, someone knocked on the damn door right as dreams were about to take me away.

"Damon, I know you're going to hate me for this, but I need a favor, buddy." Alaric's muffled voice came through the door.

Grumbling while I removed myself from the bed, I thrust the door open to a very pouty Alaric. "What the hell do you want, Ric?"

"Well, here's the deal, everyone is staying here, right?"

"Sure. This house has 8 bedrooms. Why the hell not?" What was this man up to?

"Well, let's do some math here, Caroline and Stefan and you have your own rooms. Bonnie and Matt are in another, I'm in another, and Jeremy has his own room. Rebecca and Klaus will be coming in the day after tomorrow with their…whatevers, so there go two more rooms. Tyler and April are coming in sometime this week, so there's another. Oh, and Elijah will be here with Katherine tomorrow evening. Don't even bother asking me why the originals wanted to be here. "

"I'm sure Rebecca had something to do with it…" I said, trying to figure out what the hell Ric was getting at here.

"8 bedrooms, minus you, Caroline and Stefan, Jeremy, Bonnie and Matt, Klaus and Hayley, Rebecca and whatever creature she brings, Tyler and April, and Elijah and Katherine. Figure it out."

"Sounds to me like everyone has a room, Ric. What's the problem?" Then it hit me. One person's name hadn't been mentioned…_her_ name. "Sweet mother of God…where is Elena sleeping?"

I groaned, not liking where this conversation was going. At all. Alaric needed a favor and here he was spelling out for me that Elena had nowhere to sleep. This was not good.

"No. Hell no, Alaric. She is not staying with-"

"Please, it's only for what, like 2 weeks? You have a huge fucking bed, you won't have to touch her or anything, I swear."

I took a moment to contemplate the idea of having the woman who possessed every dream I've had for the past decade in my bed again. I wasn't worried about touching her; I was worried about _not_ touching her.

Besides, messing with her was always fun. How could I say no to an opportunity to entertain myself?

"Shit. Fine. But I'm agreeing to this only because there is literally nowhere else for her to sleep, got that? I don't want anyone getting any ideas in their dense heads."

Christ, what had I just agreed to? Torture yourself much, Damon?

"Thanks buddy. I'll go, uh, break the news to her." Alaric said hesitantly, realizing that the war was not over yet.

"She doesn't know?! Oh, I gotta watch this…" I exclaimed as I quickly followed him down the hallway and stopped at the top of the stairs while Alaric descended them and went to unleash holy hell on himself. God I wish I had some popcorn or a blood bag to feast upon while I witnessed the epic about to unfold.

* * *

_Elena_

"WHAT? HELL NO. I AM NOT SLEEPING WITH THAT-"I screamed as I realized what Alaric was suggesting.

"Please, Elena, it's either there or outside. Please?" Alaric practically begged me. This was getting pathetic. I caved.

"Oh my fucking God, Ric. I cannot believe that no one thought of this shit beforehand. I knew I shouldn't have come back. Dammit!" I slammed the tumbler still half full of bourbon I had been drinking on the bar and approached Alaric.

"Fine. Fine fine fine. I will sacrifice my sanity and my morals and sleep in a bed with Damon fucking Salvatore. But so help me, if he-" I warned, coming ever closer to Ric. I watched him squirm a little, not knowing what to expect from Elena 2.0.

"He won't do anything, Elena, I already talked to him. I promise." Alaric pled, raising his hands in defense.

"Good, cause if he takes things too far, it'll be your blood in my mouth, got it, buddy?" I whispered, pushing my manicured finger into his chest.

"Shit. Y-yes Elena, I get it. You have gotten very….violent since transitioning." Alaric stuttered. I had to stifle a laugh at his weariness. It was kinda cute.

I grabbed my luggage from the foyer and went to ascend the stairs. It was then that I looked up and realized Damon had been standing there listening the whole time.

"Oh for God's sake. This is going to be the two weeks from hell. Wipe the smirk, Salvatore." I grunted as I pushed past an amused looking Damon, sitting on the top step and soaking in everything he'd heard. Life for both of them was about to get a hell of a lot more interesting for the next two weeks. Starting tonight.

* * *

_Damon_

Looking at the clock, I realized that it was 8pm. The sun had just set and everyone was in the home theatre watching some random movie. I pushed myself up from the stair and went to watch the movie, ignoring the fact that the love of my existence had just agreed to sleep with me…literally, of course.

Yep, I was going to lose my fucking mind in the next two weeks, but at least I wouldn't be alone. Elena would squirm just as much as I did, if I had my way.

Entering the home theatre, much to my dismay, I realized that the movie tonight was none other than The Notebook. Allie had just pulled up to Noah's shed and into his life for the first time in many years. God, I thought, I'm turning into a girl; I know this stupid movie by heart!

It was then that I tried to find somewhere to sit, whether I wanted to admit it or not, The Notebook was within the top 10 movies in my book. Afraid that the only place to sit would be next to _her_, I was beyond relieved to notice a seat next to Bonnie. I quickly settled into the overstuffed leather chair and popped some of witchy's popcorn into my mouth, smirking at the glare she shot my way.

When the rain started falling and Noah and Allie were thoroughly drenched, I snuck a glance at Elena for the first time since settling down. Her eyes were locked on me. When she finally broke our stare, Elena bolted up and ran out of the room. Not caring, or pretending not to care, I returned my attention to the movie. Elena's drama wasn't going anywhere, and neither was I.

* * *

What the hell was THAT? I thought to myself as I reached the safety of the Salvatore kitchen on the other side of the mansion. I hadn't meant to get caught staring into a man who I'd abandon's eyes. The movie just reminded me of him, that's all. It reminded me of **_us_**.

Shaking the thought from my mind, I made my way down the stairs to the refrigerator packed with blood for the multiple vampires that would soon inhabit the mansion.

Remembering the sleeping arrangements, I inwardly groaned. Why was it that the only available place for me to sleep was with…HIM! I understand that I messed up and deserved to be punished for being away for so long, but this form of torture was unnecessary.

I opened the door and pulled out a blood bag from the top shelf. Tearing it open, I felt the liquid glide down my throat and the subtle burning that had lingered there for hours now subsided. Getting used to blood bags had taken a little while; especially cold blood bags. I preferred warm blood, but didn't feel like risking the chance of encountering anyone at the moment. I needed space and time to think up a plan of action for the next two weeks.

It wasn't going to be easy, resisting the temptation to fall back into the comfort of Damon's arms. He was on my mind always all those years I stayed away. If there had been any reason to come back sooner to Falls Church, he would have been it. Once I found out that he'd up and ran too soon after my departure, I saw no point in putting myself through the pain and sorrow of returning…until now. Knowing he would be here, I suppose, was a driving factor in my reasoning for returning now. I told myself, however, that I was here for my friends. Damon and I never were together…were we?

_10 years earlier…_

_"Boyfriend?" I gawked, eying Damon in his tuxedo. "I just told you I feel nothing for you and you're throwing the term 'boyfriend' around?"_

_"Well yeah, Elena. That is what I am, right?" Damon smirked, knowing he was getting under her skin._

_"If that's what you call this," I motioned between us, "then yeah, you're my…my boyfriend."_

_With that I turned and left him standing there, in slight disbelief that I'd acknowledged our relationship, even though I felt nothing. Somewhere deep down, my humanity screamed at me that I loved this man more than anything. _

_Deep down I knew he would be the one to turn my humanity back on, if anyone could. I hated that I felt something for him, even with the sire bond gone and my humanity off, but I did. It made me…happy, I think._

_Of course I remembered what went on between us before I flipped my switch. I knew all along that my feelings for Damon were not a result of the sire bond. No one believed me. Now I guess no one will know for sure what the truth was and what a result of the sire bond was._

_After Jeremy died, nothing mattered anymore. Nothing._

After I turned my emotions back on, some 5 years ago, I knew the answer to whether my feelings were a result of the sire bond or whether they were real. The question now was whether or not Damon even cared what that answer was. Eventually the truth would come out; I just hoped it didn't create a catastrophic situation that everyone around us got sucked up into.


	5. The Gang's All Here (Part One)

**Chapter 5: The Gang's All Here (Part One)**

**I felt like dedicating a whole chapter to everyone arriving at Casa de Salvatore. Why? Because I can. =P**

**Sorry for how long this chapter is. All the more to enjoy, right?**

**I own nothing, except maybe Ian Somerhalder's heart…one day. ;)**

A pounding on the door broke me from my thoughts as I finished off the blood bag. I couldn't quite remember who was supposed to arrive when but I didn't think anyone was supposed to be here so soon. Knowing that even if the others heard the doorbell they wouldn't care enough to answer it, I quickly ran upstairs and answered the door. A surprised gasp left my mouth as the newest visitor to the Salvatore mansion pulled me into a hug.

Rebecca arrived with three large suitcases being hoisted up the mansion stairs by who could only be her boyfriend. I looked him over while I embraced my old friend. Without Rebecca, having no humanity would have been much more of a bummer those few months before I ran.

"Elena Gilbert, where on Earth have you been all this time?" Rebecca asked as she released me from her embrace. "I looked all over for you and couldn't find a trace!"

"I was in Atlanta. I blend in quite well there and didn't have a good enough reason to return here. Now I'm back because…well, why not?" I answered, hoping not to upset the original vampire.

"Well, I am a little disappointed that you didn't feel you could come to me in New Orleans, but I understand what it's like to need to figure yourself out. Just promise me one thing."

"Anything, Becca."

"You will come visit my family and me in New Orleans after this dreadful reunion is over with."

"Absolutely. I've missed our catty chats." I replied, a smile breaking across both of our faces.

Suddenly we were interrupted by Rebecca's boyfriend. "Tyler?!" I exclaimed. How much had I missed? He surprised me by pulling me into his arms for a brotherly hug. I kissed his cheek in greeting. I did my best to hide the shock at seeing an original vampire with a hybrid and, my god, was she…beaming? Rebecca Mikelson was beaming as she looked at the man who may or may not be able to kill her. (None of us had tested that theory yet, as far as I knew.)

I told Rebecca and Tyler to wait in the foyer while I went back to that dreaded theatre to get Stefan to show them where to go. As I reached the top of the stairs, I noticed that the movie must have ended as everyone was walking toward me, probably going for the blood bags I'd just eaten from.

I stopped everyone, wanting to try and avoid a massacre for poor Tyler.

"Hey guys, Rebecca's here. With Tyler." I said, glancing in Caroline's direction. "Stefan, I told her to wait in the foyer for you to direct her somewhere." And with that I went into my room to take a long, hot bath.

* * *

"You know, we're going to have to come up with some sort of system for the next two weeks, _roomie_." Damon smirked at me as I closed the door behind me and turned around to a half-naked, very wet, Damon Salvatore. He must have had the same idea I was having just a few moments before, since I could smell his body wash wafting in from the bathroom.

"Good grief, Damon. It's nothing I haven't seen. Just try to keep your nudity to a bare minimum, please." I mumbled as I made my way into the bathroom.

I had unpacked my things before going into the theatre to watch the movie and was relieved when I shut and locked the bathroom door behind me. I'd packed lacy underwear since that was all I wore anymore. The problem here was that Damon had a fetish for lace. Obviously I wasn't expecting to be faced with the dilemma of having to hide my underwear from him or I would have purchased more modest things to wear.

Turning on the water until it was hot enough, I slipped off my shoes and jeans, pulled off my shirt, unclasped and removed my bra, and finally slipped out of my underwear. Pulling my hair into a bun, I dipped myself slowly into the bath, feeling the tension I didn't even realize was held within my muscles relax as soon as they hit the steaming hot water. I laid my head against the back of the tub and drifted off to my happy place.

* * *

How was I supposed to keep up my composure when she was in the next room entirely naked? I'd just taken a shower to, um, relieve the tension. If she'd been a minute sooner, she would've been privy to a much more enticing show.

I'd heard the doorbell ring while I was showering. Of course, I was in no condition to go greet whoever the hell it was. When I heard Barbie Klaus, I thought to myself "Well, isn't this evening going to be more fun than originally thought."

Now that I was properly clothed and presentable, I exited the bedroom and made my way downstairs to the library where I could hear everyone's chatter. Blondie and Barbie were cooing over little Jeremy, who was obviously just like his namesake and already doing whatever it took to get the ladies' attention. Elena's brother would be proud.

Stefan was over on a couch, talking to…was that wolfie? Alaric was fixing himself a glass of bourbon. I approached him and asked "Please tell that is NOT Tyler Lockwood and he is NOT here with Barbie Klaus."

"Sorry, bud. He's apparently Rebecca's boy toy now."

Alaric and I settled on the couch across from Stefan and Tyler and sipped on our respective bourbons until finally, I broke the silence, turning to Alaric.

"So where have you been all this time, Ric? I'm sure there's an epic journey of love, passion, and courage just waiting to burst through that smartass mouth of yours." I raised my eyebrows as I queried my best friend.

"It's sort of a long story and this is my tenth bourbon of the night. I'll keep it brief and tell you all the gory details another day. Maybe even tomorrow." Alaric sighed as he winked at me. Weirdo.

"I did in fact die in your arms, thanks for catching me as I fell, by the way. I woke up the next day, knowing I had died. Apparently Bonnie had performed some kind of resurrection spell to bring me back. Only problem is-"

"Wait," I interjected, "witchy brought you back?"

"Yep. Well, kind of. I woke up the next day…different. I was super hungry and I was craving one thing only…brains. I know it sounds entirely looney tunes, but I did. For five years I was a zombie, Damon. I didn't want anyone to see me like that, so I had witch- I mean Bonnie hide me until she could figure out the other half of the spell to turn me fully back into a human. It was a long five years, my friend. A long five years indeed." Alaric said as he patted me on the shoulder before standing and announcing that he was calling it a night.

Alaric finished his bourbon, laid the glass on the bar, and ventured upstairs to his bedroom. I remained where I was, trying to wrap my head around the information my best buddy had just laid on me. I quickly finished my bourbon and went after him. I caught him at his bedroom door and grabbed him in an embrace. Shocked, he didn't move for a minute until he reluctantly returned my embrace with his.

"You have no idea how glad I am that you're back, man." I said and I felt his heart beating.

"Me too, Damon. Me too. Now before this bromance starts getting awkward, I'm going to bed. Night, buddy."

"Night." I said as Ric turned around and entered his bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind him.

It was time to face the music. I turned around and made my way into my bedroom, knocking first so as to not walk in upon Elena in an, uh, indecent position. Apparently she was still in the bath, so I eased open the door. Sure enough the bathroom door was still locked. I knocked and heard splashing as Elena stuttered "Uh, wh-who is it? Be right out."

I decided to just go to bed, too tired to handle anymore drama from her. I pulled off my grey shirt and pulled down the dark purple comforter and blood red sheets. I climbed into the king sized bed and quickly fell asleep. I didn't even hear Elena come back into the room.

* * *

I was quickly awoken from my happy place as I heard two knocks on the bathroom door; I startled and splashed water everywhere, inwardly cursing. I told whoever it was that I'd be right out and proceeded to remove myself from the bathtub and get ready for bed.

Once I had slipped on my dark blue lacy underwear and my more modest t-shirt and pajama bottoms, I reluctantly opened the door into the bedroom. I glanced at the huge bed and a comfortable smile rose to my lips as I witnessed Damon, snoring softly as he slept. I tiptoed my way across the room and quietly turned off the bedside lamp. I pulled down my side of the covers and slipped into the other side of the bed from Damon, keeping as much distance as possible. Within minutes of my head hitting the unbelievably soft pillow, I drifted off again.

* * *

The sun shone through the window, illuminating once again the natural auburn highlights in Elena's hair.

I stared down at her, unable to move, unable to speak. She looked so peaceful, a small smile playing across her lips as she shifted in her sleep. She was perfect in every way. She always had been. When she rolled onto her side, away from me, I let out a chuckle. Written across the back of her sleep shirt was the name 'SALVATORE'. She must have borrowed it the last time she lived here. It was my old t-shirt from one of the many colleges I attended. She probably thought it was Stefan's. Or, she didn't care. Probably the latter.

Apparently my chuckle woke her up and she rolled onto her back, stretching. I watched as she slowly realized where she was, and who was watching her. She leapt from the bed and squealed, cursing me for scaring her. I innocently held my hands up and shrugged. I was still speechless. All I could manage was "Nice shirt." With a devilish smirk. Come on, Salvatore; get your vocabulary together before she notices you've turned into a babbling idiot!

With that little comment, it sunk in to her the shirt she had worn to bed the previous night. Her cheeks turned red instantly as she crossed her arms over her chest and stormed out of the bedroom, presumably to get breakfast.

I'll settle for a blood bag warmed in the microwave.

I stretched and made my way downstairs for some breakfast of my own.

* * *

As I felt the morning sun beat against my pale cold skin, I silently groaned. I had been having a great dream. Damon and I were on a picnic and there was no tension between us. We simply laughed at what the other said and relaxed as we sipped on our blood bags under a giant oak tree.

It was then that I heard his chuckle. God, I'd missed that sound in my life. I rolled over, thinking it was a remnant of my dream and practically jumped out of my own skin as I opened my eyes to his cobalt blue ones. I leapt from the bed and tried to figure out what was so funny. I noticed him staring to my sleep shirt. As I glanced down it all became clear. I had been wearing _his_ damn shirt! Oh god, could this be more embarrassing or awkward?

I quickly burst from the room in search of breakfast, or really anything, just so I wouldn't be under that seductive gaze of his another second.

On my way down the stairs, I heard Rebecca playing with Jeremy in the library. I don't think I've ever heard her so happy in her life. It dawned on me then: if Caroline and Stefan have Jeremy…

"Rebecca, love. I see you're entertaining little Jeremy. How…sweet." A familiar British voice came from the foyer. Rebecca turned around and was in the foyer at vampire speed, taking her brother into her arms.

"Nicklaus. Where have you been? I thought you and April would have beaten us here!"

Had I heard that right? First Rebecca was here with none other than Tyler, and now Klaus shows up with…April? So many questions…

I continued down the stairs and was pleasantly surprised at Klaus wrapping his arms around my waist and swinging me around. At first I thought back to my human days and panicked, thinking that he was kidnapping me. But no, he was greeting me…warmly? What was up with these people?

"Okay Klaus, put me down." I squealed as he lightly returned me to the ground.

"How's my favorite ex-Doppelganger doing? Looks like you hide yourself so well even originals with their witches can't find you." Klaus said, smirking in Rebecca's direction, who looked up from her spot back on the floor with Jeremy to glare at her big brother.

"I'm actually doing really good. You seem…happier." I noted, glancing at April. "And April! You look amazing! How have you been?" I said as I wrapped her in a hug, this time she was the one to be surprised by the gesture.

"I'm, uh, I'm good Elena. Thanks." April awkwardly responded, trying to remove herself from my grasp.

I finally let her go and excused myself to the basement for some…_refreshments_. Caroline came down the stairs as I was excusing myself and practically forced me to let her come with me. Strange…but this was Caroline we were talking about.

Once we reached the basement she couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Okay, 'Lena. I know I should have asked you if it was okay to name my and Stefan's son Jeremy, but when we first locked eyes on him, that name just…stuck. I'm so so sorry. Please don't hate me." Caroline pouted. She actually pouted.

"It's fine Care. I think Jeremy, MY Jeremy, would be very proud to have such a great kid take his name." My face fell a little as my heart tugged at the memories of losing my little brother.

Caroline, of course, noticed and immediately dropped the subject, locking her arm through mine as we continued walking toward that heavenly refrigerator. While we were drinking our breakfast, we heard the muffled sounds above as Stefan led Klaus and April to their bedroom.

"Apparently April still doesn't understand how to pack lightly. Good thing her boyfriend's an original vampire!" Caroline spat out, quickly covering her mouth as giggled erupted from us both.

As we made our way upstairs, I could sense him waiting for me at the top. Sure enough, as I reached the top of the stairs, I was pulled aside by those cobalt eyes and jet black hair. Caroline just giggled and kept walking over to Rebecca, Tyler and Jeremy.

* * *

Well, that wasn't the response I was expecting. I don't think any woman has ever run from my room before. At least, not without me chasing her. I lay back in my bed and covered my eyes with my left arm. A huge sigh left my lips as I tried to figure this whole situation out in my head.

At least we didn't wake up with one of us snuggled into the other. As far as I could tell, a safe distance was maintained the whole night. One night down, only like 12 to go. Ugh.

I pushed back the covers and leapt out of bed, quickly making my way over to the closet and slipping on a black v-neck and dark jeans. I padded out of my room and made my way downstairs where the circus had apparently arrived.

Rebecca and Tyler were cooing over little Jeremy. Stefan was talking with Klaus and…that human girl that Elena attacked at prom. What the hell was her name? Dammit. Deciding to torture myself over a stupid name some other time, I made my way downstairs. I heard Ric on the front porch, talking to someone on his cell phone.

"Are you sure you won't be able to get here any sooner? Ok. That's fine. I love you, baby. See you this weekend."

As he hung up the phone and opened the door, I made sure to greet him with a huge smirk on my face as I leaned against the doorway of the foyer.

"And who, pray tell, is this lady love of yours?"

"Ah, Christ. I should have known you'd eavesdrop on me. Ok fine, Meredith Fell and I have kinda…rekindled things in the past year or so."

I whistled. "Well I'll be damned, Ric. She might just make an honest man out of you one day."

"That's what I'm hoping." And with that, he reached into his pocket and produced a stunning emerald engagement ring.

I whistled again. "Damn, Ric. You sure know how to treat a lady right. Hey wait a sec, where's MY ring?" I joked, prodding him and making him blush as he punched my shoulder.

God it was great to have him back.

It was then that the burning in my throat made itself more than present once again and I realized I needed something to drink. Walking toward the basement stairs I overhead Blondie talking to Elena.

"I'm so so sorry. Please don't hate me." I could practically hear the pout that was surely on her face.

"It's fine Care. I think Jeremy, MY Jeremy, would be very proud to have such a great kid take his name." I heard Elena respond. I agreed and my face fell a little, remembering how hard Elena fought to keep her brother from his inevitable death.

It was then that I heard shuffling and openly laughed as I saw both Klaus and Stefan struggling up the stairs with April's suitcase. The girl still didn't know how to pack. Thank god for vampires. Haha.

I heard the girls coming up the stairs and I just couldn't resist, I tell you. I leaned against the door frame at the top of the stairs and waited until they reached the top. I then grabbed Elena by the arm and dragged her to a tucked away corner so that we could finally make some kind of progress and turn this disaster of a vacation into something at least semi-salvageable.

"We need to talk." I briskly told Elena while she struggled to get out of my grasp.

"We absolutely do NOT need to talk, Damon. There is nothing for us to talk about." She quickly responded, clearly uncomfortable with our closeness in the tucked away corner of the Salvatore mansion.

"Oh, but we do. You owe me a very long, very detailed explanation of just why in the hell you up and left and just what it is that made you decide to come back now. And don't spout any of that "High School Reunion" bullshit because you and I both know that is entirely not the reason you came back." I smirked, making her even more uncomfortable.

"Fine then," Elena sighed, "let's talk. We should probably sit down though since this is going to take a while."

* * *

Great. Fantastic. I had been cornered by Damon and was now about to spill everything to him. What was it about him that made me trust him in the first place? He's arrogant, a smartass, and he has no sense of space. But those eyes…I shook my head, removing the image of those eyes as he hovered above me some ten years ago.

Once we were both sitting in a parlor I was previously unaware of, I began what would probably be an epically boring tale.

"Well, where should I start?"

"Let's try from that morning you left me, I mean everyone." Damon replied. A sadness seemed to take hold of his eyes and I looked down as I told him what I'd dreaded all these years.

"Okay. The morning I left, it was only because I couldn't take the torture of remaining in this godforsaken town another minute. There was nothing left for me here. I had my emotions turned off and felt like everyone around me, you included, was trying to turn me into someone that I wasn't ready to be yet. None of you would take no for an answer so I did the only thing I felt I could do. I left. I went to Atlanta, which is where I've been all these years."

"Wait, I went looking for you, Elena. I checked in Atlanta. I checked fucking everywhere. How in the hell did you hide so well?" Damon shouted in disbelief.

"Bonnie. She cast a spell that hid me. Remember what she did with those coffins for Stefan?"

"Yeah. So you're saying it was just an exaggerated version of that? Where did she get the power?"

"She never stopped doing expression, Damon." I reluctantly admitted. "Anyway, I didn't have to worry about anyone finding me, so I could focus on…finding me." With that I burst into laughter. Damon looked at me for a minute before laughing as well.

"Okay. So now I know where, and sort of why. But why are you coming back now?" Damon's expression softened.

This was what I'd been dreading. I didn't honestly know myself why I was back now and not before, or never.

"I know you'd love for me to tell you it's because I just couldn't stay away from you anymore, but that's not the case. I wish I could give you a straight answer. Hell, I wish I could give myself a straight answer. It's a lot of things, and yes, you are one of those things. I've missed you, Damon." I said, subconsciously placing my hand on his cheek and looked up into his eyes. He covered my hand and a small smile ghosted his face.

"I've miss you too, 'Lena. And I don't want you to think I don't want you here. Yes, it's a challenge for me, but you know how I like a good challenge." He smirked and I felt those familiar flutters in my stomach.

"Well, there are other reasons. One is in fact going to this reunion. I do want to see how everyone's been doing, even though the people whose welfare I care most about are all going to be in this house by week's end. Another thing that brought me to the decision to return now is, well, I'm just sick of hiding. I'm sick of running away from everything I did to the people I love. The guilt has grown to be too much and I think it's time I came back, 100%. I can't do that without you and everyone else, Damon. I can't do any of it without the love and support everyone provided me so long ago." I took a deep breath and looked away. There, now Damon knew everything I was ready to tell. Sure, there were a lot of stories to be told about the years between then and now, but they could wait.

* * *

It took all my strength to not wrap my arms around Elena and cover her mouth with mine like I did so many years ago. Watching her open up like a book to me again was incredible. I never thought I would see that level of vulnerability in her eyes again, but when she surprised me by placing her hand on my cheek and looked up into my eyes, there it was. I couldn't stop myself in time to keep from covering her hand with mine. The feeling of her skin against mine again was beyond words. For a moment, she was my Elena again. A feeling of needing to protect this amazing woman in front of me rushed through my veins as I listened to her continue her story. I could sense that she had more to tell me, but I didn't need to push it; Elena would tell me when she was ready.

God, she was so stubborn and independent. I loved her now like I did the day I kissed her hand in greeting over a decade ago. The dreams I used to have about the future she and I could have begun to replay themselves again. I pushed the dreams from my mind as I replied to her small speech.

"Elena…I'm just glad you're back. In more ways than just physically. Falls Church wasn't the same when you left. I wasn't the same. When you shut off your humanity, I was so afraid I would lose you like I lost Stefan when he did the same thing previously. Then you up and left one morning and I knew I'd lost you. There was a hole in my heart and in my life without you, even in your non-humanity state. To look into your eyes and see that woman that I love, to see you have compassion for others, I'm happier to see that than I am your physical presence. Although, I have to say that I don't mind in the least having you physically around me. Ever." I winked in her direction and she blushed and she playfully slapped my arm.

It was then that Caroline approached us. Damn it, I forgot Blondie lived here and knew every square inch of this huge house.

"Hey Elena, um, I need you and Damon to watch Jeremy for a few hours while I run out with everyone to get groceries. Is that alright?"

I nodded my acceptance and Elena said "Sure, Care. Take as long as you need. I want to get to know...uh, Jeremy better." I saw her struggling to keep herself together simply saying his name. Of course she hadn't gotten over losing her baby brother. Who could?

As Blondie thanked us and went off again, I turned back to Elena and saw the silent tears falling down her face. I don't even think she was aware of them.

It was then that I knew why she came back. She came back to heal. She came back to grieve amongst the people who understood her and would never abandon her, even when she flipped off her humanity. Elena was broken and she'd spent all this time away trying to fix herself. She finally realized that she couldn't do it alone. That's why she came back…**_home._**


	6. The Gang's All Here (Part Two)

**Chapter 6: The Gang's All Here (Part Two)**

**_Sorry folks, but this chapter became too big to post as one. Forgive me? Ok, good._**

**_Onward! I own nothing. =(_**

Jeremy was sitting in his room playing with a train set that looked older than Damon and Stefan. As I entered his room, I finally took in my surroundings. The old bedroom had been converted into a little boy's dream. The walls were painted sky blue with clouds dispersed throughout and tiny airplanes flying amongst them. Below the molding that lined the room half way down the wall, the "ground" was painted jungle green with dinosaurs of all kinds. Jeremy's bed was Lightning McQueen, as were the sheets on said bed. He had every toy you could imagine: trains, action figures, blocks, electronic toys, play tools, and his own freaking laptop. The kid was two and he already owned a computer!

I approached Jeremy playing and sat down next to him.

"Hey, kiddo. What are you up to?"

"Twains go woo woo." He said with a level of enthusiasm that only a toddler could possess.

"Well, that sounds like fun. Can I play with you?"

His response did nothing less than astound me.

"Ewena. I want you to tell me a story."

"Okay, what kind of story?"

"I wanna know about my Unkie Jeremy. The boy I was named after. Your brudder. Mommy and daddy never talk about him. They said it was your place." The little boy looked up at me as he spoke, sympathy soaking into his every feature.

"Um…ok. I guess I could tell you about him." I struggled to get out as the tears threatened to overcome me. Of course Stefan and Caroline didn't tell him. They wanted the story of Jeremy to come from me, the one person who understood him best; the one person who missed him more than she thought possible. "What would you like to know?"

"I wanna know everything. What was he like? Was he pretty like you? Where is he now? Do I look like him?" The toddler bombarded me with questions as I tried my best to figure out how to tell a two year old the brutality of what his namesake had to endure because of his stubborn big sister.

"Well, he was very handsome. He had girls following him everywhere. Somehow, I think you take after him in that department, or you will one day." I smiled. Maybe this wouldn't suck as much as I originally thought. "He cared very much about everyone and he wanted to protect everyone around him. When our mommy and daddy died, he had a hard time accepting it and I had to help him. But he couldn't be there when I went through the same thing…" I stopped, unable to continue without sobbing.

"Why wasn't he there for you, Ewena? That's awful mean." He frowned as he spoke and my heart broke a little more.

It was then that my knight in shining armor came breezing through the door.

"Unkie Damon!" Jeremy ran to his uncle and Damon hoisted him up without skipping a beat. Jeremy told Damon "Ewena is sad. Fix her." And pointed toward me as he spoke. Damon looked over at me and our eyes locked for a moment in silent understanding. Damon came over to me and sat down with Jeremy still in his arms.

"What was she talking to you about? Maybe I can pick up where she left off."

"I was…I was talking a-about…J-J-Jeremy." And with that the sobs finally escaped from my lips. I excused myself from the room and closed the door behind me. I ran as fast as I could to the bedroom and collapsed on the bed. I cried until I finally fell asleep.

* * *

With Jeremy still in my arms, and a little scared from the sobs we both just witnessed come from Elena, I settled Jeremy in my lap and told him "I'll tell you the rest of the story, but then you need to take your nap, okay, buddy? Don't worry about Elena. She just misses her brother, okay?"

Jeremy nodded his head and looked to me with great anticipation.

"Well, Jeremy was a great guy. He loved everyone and protected the people he cared for most. Elena was at the top of that list. Some weird stuff happened a while ago, stuff you don't need to know about for a while yet. Jeremy ended up dying trying to protect the people he loved. You should know that if he was still alive, he would be so proud to have a kid like you bearing his name. I think he's watching over us all now and smiling." I tapped Jeremy's nose as I finished the story.

"Wow. I am so glad my name is Jeremy, Unkie Damon. He was a hero. I want to grow up and be a hero just like him." The toddler smiled as I picked him up and placed him in his bed for a nap.

"I think he would like that, kiddo." With that I tucked him in, kissed his cheek, and quietly left the room when I heard his soft snoring. Just like his father.

Once I left Jeremy's room, I went to check on Elena. I hadn't seen her that upset since the night I told her to turn it all off. I was sincerely worried about her. I went straight to our bedroom and listened. I heard her soft breathing and knew she was asleep. I crept open the door and walked in. She seemed so peaceful in her sleep, but it was freezing in my room. I closed the window to the cooler temperatures than normal outside. I took the blanket from the bottom of the bed and covered her chilled body with it. She immediately snuggled up under it and stirred. I was about to leave when I heard her call to me.

"Damon, please…stay." She whispered in a broken, small voice. I went over and crawled under the blanket with her. She turned around and buried her face in my chest as sleep overtook her again. I wrapped my arms around her and felt like I'd finally come home. At some point I fell asleep as well, with the love of my life wrapped securely in my arms where nothing could hurt her, not even her memories of days gone by, or so I hoped.

I was awoken by a door slamming and Caroline announcing her presence throughout the entire freaking house.

"Damon, Elena, there better not be a scratch on my precious baby!" She chanted as she climbed the stairs. The next thing I heard was the pitter patter of little feet down the hallway and Jeremy's voice calling "Mommy mommy mommy!" All the way down the hall. Someone was a momma's boy. It was so cute. It reminded me of myself as a child.

I glanced down at Elena and noticed that she still hadn't woken up. Nice to know she could still sleep like the dead. Or undead. Ahaha. I crack myself up sometimes.

Our legs were intertwined and she was curled up against me with her face against my chest. I couldn't stand to wake her and I honestly didn't mind at all having to lay there holding this amazing woman while she slept. Blondie burst through the door and I promptly shot her a death glare. She quickly saw the scene in front of her and retreated with her tail between her legs.

I felt Elena shuffle against me and inwardly cursed Blondie for most likely waking my girl. Oh shit. Did I just call Elena my girl? Ugh.

Elena snuggled further into my chest and I couldn't help but inwardly laugh at how adorable she was.

She sleepily looked up at me gazing down at her. I expected the same reaction I received this morning, but instead she nuzzled into my chest even deeper and took a deep breath.

"I forgot how wonderful I sleep when you're around. And how good you smell." She finally said with a yawn.

"Good to know." I smiled as I gazed into her doe eyes for the first time in too long.

We laid there for a while, just looking at one another until her eyelids began to droop again. She nuzzled back into my chest and her breathing quickly slowed as she fell back asleep. I wrapped my arms even tighter around her, afraid that if I didn't, this moment would end and she would be gone again. Knowing she was safe in my arms, I felt my own body relax and fell asleep along with her.

* * *

Waking up in Damon's arms after my latest sobbing fit was not at all what I was expecting. Caroline bursting through the door had finally woken me up. As I stirred, I realized I was curled up against a familiar figure. Next, his smell hit me. God, I'd missed waking up to that smell.

I snuggled myself into his chest even further, trying to lose myself in him, and felt him chuckle against me. Slowly, I looked up and began opening my eyes, knowing I'd find his cobalt blue looking down at me. I was not disappointed. I shyly smiled, feeling groggy but rested, and said with a yawn, "I forgot how wonderful I sleep when you're around. And how good you smell."

I realized then just how tangled up in one another we were. My legs were practically on fire as they were intertwined with his. He had the arm wrapped around me resting on my hair, softly running his fingers through it. "Good to know." He said back with a genuine smile plastered across his face. I couldn't help but return his smile with one of my own. A feeling of peace fell upon us as I felt my eyelids begin to droop and sleep took over me once again.

I rested my head against his chest and fell back into a deep sleep. As I drifted off, I felt him wrap his arms tighter around me before his body relaxed too and we both fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

I was woken again by the sound of squeals of delight, no doubt from Blondie and Barbie Klaus. Elena was still curled up against me asleep. I gently pried myself from her, taking care not to wake her as well. I softly padded out of the bedroom and closed the door behind me quietly. I approached the stairs and watched Elijah and Katherine in the foyer, being embraced by Barbie Klaus and Blondie. Stefan had Jeremy and was watching with amusement along with Alaric. Bonnie and Matt sat in the library, apparently in deep conversation.

I made my way downstairs, aware of the absence of April and Klaus. I assumed that they were in their room doing things that I wished I could do with Elena again.

Katherine saw me first and leapt into my arms with the largest smile on her face. It was good to see her finally happy and not running.

"Hello Katherine." A voice said from behind me, everyone turned toward the sound and a suspended silence fell over us all as we watched Klaus come down the stairs. I looked to Katherine and noticed that all color had fallen from her face. This was so not good.

To everyone's relief, Klaus approached Katherine and kissed her hand as I released her. "Don't be afraid, love. My days of chasing are over. I have reason to settle down in New Orleans. I'm in love."

The relief that overtook Katherine's whole being was immediate. She embraced Klaus with tears in her eyes, obviously glad that her days of running were over.

Elijah approached me with his hand extended. "It's good to see you again, Damon." As we shook hands, I replied "You too, Elijah, you too."

I made my way downstairs for a snack and as I returned upstairs I overheard Alaric on the phone, presumably with Meredith.

"Babe, calm down. I'm sure he's going to be okay….I know, I know. I wish I was there too but your train doesn't leave until Saturday…I'm sorry baby. Okay. Love you too." I heard him sigh as he hung up the phone.

"What's goin on, Ric?" I asked, cautiously approaching him.

"Meredith's dad is in the hospital. They aren't sure what happened; it was either a heart attack or stroke. Mere's scared he's going to die."

"Oh, that sucks."

"What's worse is I can't be there with her."

"Why not?"

"No car."

"Ric, take my car and go be with her. She needs you. Seriously." I reluctantly offered.

"Wow, Damon. I know how much you lo-"

"Don't worry about it, Ric. Just take the damn car." I interrupted.

"Okay. Unless things change, we'll be back Saturday evening. Thanks so much Damon." With that he went upstairs to pack.

10 minutes later, I handed the key to my beloved blue mustang to Alaric. "Be good to her, Ric." I said, cringing a little. "She's delicate."

Ric laughed at me as he nodded and got into the car. "See you soon, buddy." Ric called out the window as he backed out. I watched him drive away with a longing look on my face.

* * *

I woke up and reached for Damon, only to find the cold comforter around me. I sat up yawning and slowly got off of the bed. I padded out of the room and down the stairs. I was greeted by my own image.

"Katherine!" I exclaimed as we embraced one another. "How long have you been here? And where is Elijah?" I asked, looking around at the empty library. "Where is everyone, for that matter?"

"Elijah and I got in about an hour ago. He, Klaus, Stefan, Matt, and I think Damon are at the Mystic Grill 'catching up'. Bonnie and Caroline are upstairs with Jeremy and April's apparently asleep upstairs. Oh, and Alaric took Damon's car to see Meredith."

"Wait, WHAT?! Damon let someone else not only drive his baby, but drive it alone?!" I gasped, remembering when Rebekah and I stole his car all those years ago.

"Yeah he did. Weird, huh?" Katherine replied non-chalantly.

"So, what have you been up to these past months?" She asked me. Katherine had found me two years after I left. I never expected it, but she was one of the people who really helped me turn my emotions back on. We'd formed a close bond over the years and she's like my twin sister now rather than my doppelganger that's some 500 years older than me.

"Oh, not much. I bought a new house in Atlanta. Lots of space and such." I replied with a sigh.

"That's fantastic. Klaus actually apologized to me when I arrived here. He said his days of chasing were over. He even said he wanted to settle down in New Orleans. April must be really special to him." Katherine giggled at my shocked expression to her news.

"Seriously? Klaus has come to the good side? Well, that's a relief. Especially for us doppelgangers with our epic blood." I joked. Katherine smiled at me as my joke fell flat.

"Well, I'd better get this stuff up to the bedroom and unpack. I'm so glad you decided to come, Elena." Katherine smiled at me as she retrieved her and Elijah's luggage from the foyer and dragged it all up the stairs.

I went and had a snack before deciding to see what the ladies were up to. As I approached Jeremy's door I overheard the conversation between Caroline and Bonnie.

"Are you sure, Bon? I mean, people do get sick in the summer too."

"Care, there is no illness out there that only presents itself at one point in the day."

I heard both women sigh. I opened the door and entered the room. "Hey guys. What are you up to?" I asked, acting as though I didn't already know.

"Bon, you want to tell her?" Caroline said, looking up from the blocks she and Jeremy were playing with and giving Bonnie a knowing look, "or shall I?"

Bonnie looked up at me with fear laced with excitement written all over her face. "'Lena…I'm pregnant."

"Does Matt know?" I asked, cautiously excited.

"Not yet. I wanted you and Care to know first. I'm not sure how he's gonna take it."

"He's going to be thrilled, Bon. Just like I am." I said with a broad smile plastered across my face. "…and me." Caroline squealed. All 3 of us quickly embraced each other on the floor next to a confused looking Jeremy who laughed.

"You girls so silly." He said. "Daddy and Unkie Damon was right. You girls crazy!"

We all looked at Jeremy with our jaws on the floor. In the next instant we were all laughing as we tickled Jeremy.

"Mommy's crazy, huh?" Caroline teased. "Aunt Bonnie and Elena too?" I joked. Bonnie blew raspberries on Jeremy's stomach and then we were all out of breath from laughing so we laid out on Jeremy's floor, gasping.

It was times like this that made me glad I came back, both emotionally and physically. Being with my best friends and laughing was something I hadn't had in far too long.

"Do I have to sleep?" Jeremy said when his giggles finally subsided.

"Yes, love, you do." Caroline responded in a way I had never seen or heard before.

"Well, 'Lena and I will get out of your way. Sweet dreams, Jer." Bonnie said. We both waved and left the room so Care could put Jeremy down for the night.

Once we were in the hallway, I wrapped my arms around Bonnie. "Bon, I am SO happy for you. Matt's gonna be excited too. I just know it." I reassured her again.

"I just don't know how I'm gonna tell him…" Bonnie mumbled, biting her bottom lip.

"You'll figure it out, Bon. I'll help, if you want." I gasped as I realized she was sobbing.

I held her close and let her soak my shirt. Damn pregnancy hormones.


	7. The Drinking Games

**Chapter 7: The Drinking Games**

**Filler chapter, anyone? ;)**

"One more shot!" Stefan garbled, swaying on his feet. How many had we already done?! 10? 20?

Elijah was entirely trashed, Klaus had decided to stay home with an apparently sick April, Matt was sulking over his 5th shot, I think, while I slammed shots with Stefan. Obviously he didn't get much guy time since Jeremy's birth.

**_Two years earlier_**

_Caroline walked into the bedroom looking pale. "My water just broke." She whispered. Stefan shot up from the bed and went to call Meredith. This was no ordinary birth, so a hospital was a no-go. _

_When he returned to the room he found Caroline on the floor sobbing._

_"I'm not ready, Stef. What if he doesn't like me? What is he even going to be? I'm scared."_

_Stefan tried to reassure and soothe his wife. "It's ok, baby. I know you're scared. I am too, but we're finally going to meet him and hold him and love him no matter what."_

_"Really?" Caroline sniffed, wiping her eyes. "You promise?"_

_"Really, I promise."_

_That gave Caroline the courage to carry her through delivery, with Stefan never leaving her side._

_As Jeremy was placed in her arms for the first time, she felt his heart beat and could smell his blood. "He's human, Stef." Caroline said with a look of shock._

_"Well, he appears human, but according to my research, he will develop some vampire abilities." Meredith interjected._

_"He's amazing and beautiful." Stefan said, astounded by the small baby in his wife's arms. _

_"And we'll love him, no matter what." Caroline finished._

"Okay, buddy, time to head home." I said as Matt and I attempted to get Elijah up. It was futile so I threw him over my shoulder and turned back to my baby brother. "You too, Stef. Come on, let's go." I motioned with my hand.

Stefan complied reluctantly with, following me and Matt out of the bar with a pout on his face.

I was very glad I'd taken Stefan's keys, sensing that things would get out of control. The drive home was quiet as Elijah quietly snored in the backseat with a still sulking Matt and Stefan drunkenly stared out the window, appearing lost in thought. I quietly smiled to myself as I realized the shit that these two were stepping in when they got home.

When we got home, it was 9pm and I knew Caroline was going to eat Stefan when he walked in the door.

I slung Elijah, who was still snoring gently, over my shoulder and walked in the door being held by Matt. I carried the drunken man upstairs and deposited him on his bed. Katherine appeared at the door to the room, looking confused.

"What happened?" She asked, half whining.

"He's passed out from drinking. Sorry, you know how hard it is to tell and original what to do." I explained, shrugging. "Night, Katherine." I said as I strode out of the room.

I could hear Matt and Bonnie talking in their room but chose to leave that whole situation alone for the night.

I inwardly giggled walking down the hall to go to the basement for dinner as I watched Stefan being dragged by the ear to his bedroom by Caroline.

After dinner I made my way through the ground floor of the mansion, making sure everything was closed and locked. Klaus appeared in the foyer as I locked the front door.

"I see you've had your hands full tonight." He said with a smile. I slapped him on the back as I passed, saying "You have no idea."

By now it was almost 11pm and things in the house had quieted. This included my room as I walked in. Elena wasn't in the bedroom so I walked into the bathroom to make sure she was ok.

Why the hell was I in Papa Bear mode tonight?

She was lying in the bathtub, covered in bubbles. Her skin bathed in the candle light, she looked like an angel.

I cleared my throat, waking her, and sped out of the room before she could see me. I leapt onto the bed, stripping off my black V-neck t-shirt and dark washed jeans, and slid between the blood red silk sheets.

I lay on my side, facing away from the bathroom. After a few minutes, as I was about to drift off to sleep, I heard Elena enter the room and slide into bed behind me. I could immediately feel the warmth of her body radiating toward me. I was about to fall asleep when she spoke.

* * *

After Bonnie's sobbing fit I had an idea. "Why don't we go shopping tomorrow? All us girls need something to wear to the reunion next week, and we could all use something like that to do. We could get the guys to keep Jeremy. Hopefully they won't dirty his mind too much." I smiled down at my friend.

"That sounds…amazing, 'Lena." Bonnie smiled as she turned and left in the direction of her room. I looked at the clock and saw that it was almost 8pm. I went downstairs and had dinner before deciding on another bubble bath. I lit candles as the bathtub filled with hot water and bubbles. I removed the soft robe I'd changed into before entering the bathroom and slid into the water with a moan.

I lay back and relaxed, letting the world around me fall away as I drifted off to my happy place.

I was awoken by someone clearing their throat but even with my vampire reflexes I didn't see who it was. I assumed it was Damon. Who else would walk into that bathroom? I toweled off and wrapped the fluffy cream-colored bath robe around me as the water drained from the tub.

I walked into the dark bedroom and quickly changed into my pajamas. I walked over and slid into bed, exhaustion overcoming me. It was then that I realized I wasn't alone. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness I saw his form lying in front of me with his back to me. Unsure if he was awake or not, I spoke.

"Damon." He rolled over at my voice, his groggy blue eyes taking in my form.

"Elena." He sarcastically replied, smirking.

"I need someone to tell this sort of secret, not that I think Care is keeping it, but I have to tell someone and-" I rambled until Damon placed his finger over my mouth.

"Deep breath, princess. Tell me." Damon instructed.

He was fully awake and attentive at this point.

"Bonnie's pregnant." I sheepishly admitted. Damon's face registered understanding.

"I see…that explains a lot, actually." At my confused expression, he continued. "All day today I've seen some weird behaviors from both her and Matt. They've been having what appear to be intense conversations and at the Mystic Grill tonight Matt was acting all broody. Hopefully witchy tells him soon or I believe he'll lose his mind."

* * *

After my lack of surprise to Elena, she asked how my night was. I struggled to find the words before settling on "Fine." Even though my evening was far from it, mostly because she wasn't there. I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and let my hand rest on her cheek.

She closed her eyes and smiled as she pressed her cheek further into my hand. That sense of peace fell over us again and I felt my eyelids drooping. As I drifted off to sleep, she curled up against me and I wrapped her tightly in my arms.

She whispered something I normally would have understood but I was already being overtaken by sleep. Neither of us stirred until late the next morning.


	8. Fire and Rain

**Chapter 8: Fire and Rain**

**Sorry for any errors. This is my first post from my iPad. Enjoy!**

**Wishing like hell I owned the vampire diaries. Or just Ian Somerhalder. **

After telling Damon about Bonnie, he tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear and kept his hand cupped on my cheek. I leaned into it, enjoying the sense of peace it gave me, just knowing he was there with me.  
I felt so cared about, so important when I was with him. It was a feeling I never found with anyone before or after him. Sure, I went on dates in the past decade, but none of them were… him. I wanted more than anything to show him that I cared about him just as much as he cared for me, but I was scared. I was afraid that what I'd done to him so many years ago would be too much to forgive. I was afraid that he would look me in the eyes and tell me his love for me had died.  
I was afraid that what we had, what I knew now was the most real thing I've ever experience, was over. That he thought my love for him was nothing more than the sire bond. That when I turned it all off, and that bond was broken, that my love for him died too. I just didn't know how to convince him.  
As I drifted off to sleep, wrapped securely in his arms, I whispered the words my heart always knew should only be spoken to him and him alone.  
"I love you, Damon. It's been real all along."  
The next morning I woke up on my back to someone kissing down my chest. When I glanced down I had to check to make sure I wasn't still asleep. Elena Gilbert was lying on top of me, pressing feather soft kisses all over my torso. She sensed that I had stirred and glanced up at me as she moved down my body with a darkness in her large brown eyes. It took all of my self control to not moan out load as she slowly moved her way still further down to the waistband of the pants I had slept in. I knew at this point I was awake, well, at least part of me was awake.  
As she began inching my pants down, my inner voice was screaming at me that either this wasn't real, or I should stop her before she did something she regretted. However, my limbs were entirely immobilized as I stared down in awe at the star of all of my dreams and fantasies slowly removing what little clothing I had left on my body.  
Before my mind could catch up with what exactly was going on, she had taken me into her mouth and was massaging the tip of my member sensually with her tongue. I couldn't keep myself quiet anymore as a gasp escaped from my lips. Slowly, almost painfully slowly, she began twisting her hands in circles around my cock and a loud moan escaped my lips. Obviously the past decade had given Elena the time to perfect her… pleasuring skills. At this point I was clutching the bed sheets on either side of me in a death grip. Writhing underneath her expert hands, I could no longer control myself. My hands fisted in her silky smooth hair as I began grinding against the agonizing pleasure her mouth was executing on my cock. I could feel myself quickly reaching my release and removed myself from her mouth before I went over the edge.  
In the next instant I had pulled her body up against mine as our lips came crashing together. I flipped her onto her back, unclasping her black lace bra and slowly moving it down her arms until it slid onto the floor of my bedroom.  
It was my turn to make her writhe and I was going to make up for the past 10 years of not being able to do this to her because she was too afraid to face herself. To face us.  
I had begun this morning with the intentions of showing Damon how I still felt about him, even after all this time, in the way we knew how to communicate best: physically. Unfortunately for me, I didn't anticipate how much loving on him would affect me as well.  
I found myself lying underneath him for the first time in far too long. His slow, sensual touches as he slid my bra down my arms nearly made me cry out in pleasure. Once my bra was properly dealt with, he began peppering feather-light kisses all over my neck, causing my breath to catch and a moan to escape my lips. Before I could catch my breath his lips crashed down upon mine again as our tongues explored one another's mouths. I felt his fingertips ghost over my shoulders, down the sides of my torso, and hook into the sides of my matching black lace underwear. Slowly, painfully slowly, his fingers inched down my underwear until I lay entirely exposed for the first time in over a decade, beneath the man to whom I owed my life. Under the man I would love until my time on this Earth was over.  
My hands traveled over the muscles of his upper arms, losing themselves in his jet black hair as I massaged his scalp and he continued his assault upon my upper body with his lips, traveling ever downward to where I needed him most. He took one of my breasts between his hands and massaged it while he sucked on my nipple, eliciting a loud moan from me. He did the same to my other breast and then continued his conquest down my stomach.  
When he finally reached my waist, I was aggravated to find him dodging the area where I needed him most, instead continuing down one of my legs with his lips, sucking at my toes, causing a giggle to erupt from my lips. He did the same to my other foot and then trekked upward on my other leg. Finally he reached my heat and began nibbling at my throbbing clit. His tongue massaged the walls of my core and repeatedly hit my favorite spot. Damon continued to play me like an instrument until I felt myself propelling at an insane rate toward my finish. It was then that he removed his mouth from my now dripping heat and assaulted my lips once again, positioning himself at my entrance.  
Finally, I could take it no more, "Damon, please." I moaned against his lips. He rewarded my plea b slowly entering me. It was just like I remembered it, this feeling of being whole that overcame me for the first time in a decade as he stilled, allowing me to get used to having him inside me again. Then it was up up and away we went, gasping, moaning, and devouring each other until we met our peaks and fell together into a state of blissful peace.  
I couldn't help but think to myself, this feels like coming home.  
It was Saturday and I could not wait for Ric and Meredith to get here with my baby. If there was one scratch on her, I swear…  
"Damon," I heard Matt call as he came down the stairs with a ridiculous grin on his face. Oh sweet Jesus, Bonnie had told him. "Damon, my man, I'm gonna be a father!" He exclaimed as he slapped me on the back. If he wasn't going to be a father, I would have snapped his arm off and fed it to him. Instead I clapped him on the back as well and congratulated him. "So I heard, Matt. Congrats. You and wit-I mean Bonnie will make great parents." I inwardly cringed as the thought of how they got into this situation arose unwelcomed into my mind.  
"Thanks. Hey, I need you to help me with something today." Cue inward groan number two.  
"Really?" I asked, trying to hide the sarcasm in my voice. Why didn't I just lock the door to my bedroom and hold Elena captive as my sex slave all day today?  
"Yeah, I want to propose to Bon. I mean, I've been thinking about it anyway, but this whole baby thing has given me that last little push to go ahead. I've been too afraid she'd say no." The blonde former quarterback sheepishly admitted.  
"Ok. One, never ever let witchy in on that little secret or she will think that this whole engagement deal is nothing more than you doing the right thing by the child, and judging by how unbelievably hormonal she's been lately, she may just rip your ball-sack off. Two, I will help you pick out a ring under only one condition… " I said, holding up my first two fingers.  
"Name it." Matt said.  
"Okay, here's what I'm going to need you to do… "  
Bonnie grabbed my arm and dragged me into the maternity store at the mall. I was suddenly surrounded by unnaturally large bellied mannequins. "Oh. My. God." She exclaimed as she rushed over to the holiday section of the store where apparently they had already put out Halloween related clothing. Couldn't they have waited until, I don't know, SEPTEMBER?!  
Caroline joined me with a bag from the toy store next door. She watched as Bonnie excitedly looked through the racks of Halloween maternity wear.  
"What the hell is Bon up to?" She finally asked. Then it dawned on us just as Bonnie came running over with a purple maternity t-shirt in her hands. On the front it said:  
"THIS WITCH IS BREWING HERSELF A BABY" with a little cauldron underneath. Of course Bonnie would want a t-shirt to wear during her pregnancy with something witch related on it.  
Caroline and I burst into laughter when we saw the t-shirt and Bonnie immediately began crying. We both abruptly stopped laughing and embraced her from either side, unable to hold back a few more giggles as we looked at each other over her head and shook our own.  
"You guys think it's stupid." Bonnie whined. "No we don't, sweetie. We just appreciate the irony of it." Caroline comforted, rubbing circles on Bonnie's back as we all three went toward the Halloween maternity clothing for a more thorough scan of the merchandise for more witch related maternity wear.  
I gestured toward her belly as I said, "Seriously, Bon, I cannot think of a more fitting shirt for you to wear while baby D is in there."  
"Ok then. Let's see if there are any more ironically amazing clothes for me to wear."  
She flitted over to the maternity dresses as Caroline and I looked through the Halloween clothing. We found a few hysterical vampire t-shirts and decided to purchase them, just in case one of us got pregnant, or pregnant again in Care's case. One of the t-shirts said "HAVING A BLOODY GOOD TIME" with little fangs over the abdomen. Another was the face of a vampire, with the eyes over the chest and the fangs again over the abdomen.  
We chuckled as we stood in line behind Bonnie, who had most likely half of the store in her arms. Somehow she'd remembered that when we were little we'd promised to buy one another maternity wear when one of us was pregnant. Seeing as both Caroline and I were now well off, I suppose Bon threw caution to the wind and went a little batshit crazy.  
"So Care, do you think you and Stefan will have more kids?" I asked as Bonnie piled the clothing on the counter, to the shocked look of the cashier. Care rolled her eyes at Bonnie as she replied "I've never really thought about it. Jer wasn't exactly planned, as you know. I guess whatever happens happens is my mantra on that subject."  
"Hey, Bon, Care's going to pay here and you and I are gonna go to the baby store down the walk." I said, giving a shocked Caroline a knowing look. "Oh, get it together, Care, you never even bought maternity wear when you were pregnant."  
"How would you know?" She responded. "I saw the pictures." I stuck my tongue out at her as I linked arms with Bonnie and we strolled out of the store.  
"You know this is beyond crazy, right?" Matt said after I'd explained what I needed him to do. He was right. What I had planned would change everything, but it was worth it.  
"Yeah, I know it's crazy. But sometimes life just works that way. I mean, Christ, Blondie getting pregnant wasn't crazy?"  
"You have a point there… " He admitted. "Alright, I'm in. We're doing this when?"  
"Wednesday. Don't forget. And for all that's holy, don't tell your hellishly hormonal girlfriend a thing!" I called as he nodded and left the room.  
I sat down in the black chair by the window and sipped on my tumbler of bourbon as I stared out the window.  
I never thought I'd have the chance to find happiness, true happiness, again. But here she was, back in my life. I was scared to death she wouldn't stay, but I had faith in her. I had faith in us.  
Our time had finally come again and I wasn't about to let a moment go to waste this time.  
This plan would change everything, and it would define the future for me. Either I would fall apart and live out my existence lonely, or, dare I think it, I would spend every moment of eternity feeling like the luckiest man in the universe.  
"Oh. My. God. Elena! Look at this onesie! It's got a matching bonnet!" Bonnie exclaimed, holding up what must have been the thousandth item for my approval.  
"Just so you remember, 'Lena, you chose to bring her in here and pay for whatever she wants." Caroline reminded me, with a devious smirk plastered on her face as we watched our pregnant friend lose her mind once again.  
It was going to be a very long pregnancy, for everyone. But even in her madness, I knew that this was one of the things that Bonnie needed more than anyone else. Even though she was a witch, Bonnie's humanity made her unique among us and to allow her to enjoy the bliss of a human experience was a sight to behold. It was almost as though we were all human in those moments.  
After Bon had thoroughly ransacked the baby store, she piled the final damage on the counter to another shocked cashier. I didn't even bother looking at the final price as I signed the receipt. It was worth it to give Bonnie even a slice of blissful happiness.  
Caroline and I dragged Bonnie around the mall into all our favorite stores and tried on thousands of items at vamp-speed. Clothing shopping took us far less time since becoming vampires. Another perk of the undead. At one point Bonnie turned to us and said "My feet hurt. Pregnant woman over here needs to rest her swollen feet." Care and I stopped dead in our tracks, looked at each other, and burst into fits of laughter, tears rolling down our cheeks. "Bon, you're only like 6 weeks pregnant at most. You cannot, I repeat CANNOT have swollen feet already. Give it 6 months and you'll not even be able to see your feet to tell if they're swollen or not." Caroline said between giggles. She threw her arm around Bonnie's shoulders and I wrapped my arm around Bonnie's waist. We walked out of the mall together, two vampires with smiles plastered to their faces and one witch with a pout. Succesful day of girly shopping time? I think so.  
When we got into the car and Care turned on the radio, a Backstreet Boys song came on. All hell broke loose. We were all three singing at the top of our lungs, Bonnie even doing the dance moves. I'm fairly certain we got some strange looks from people as we lost our ever-lovin minds together.  
Before we knew it, we were pulling into the Salvatore mansion driveway. Caroline parked the car and we all three grabbed as many bags as we could (there had to be hundreds) and headed inside. I looked up as I approached the front door and saw Damon gazing down at me with a look in his eyes that he only held for me. I smiled and waved as best I could with both my arms weighed down by bags. Damon appeared to chuckle and then disappeared from the window.  
In a moment, he was standing in front of me, offering to take some of the bags.  
"Good god, did you three buy everything in that mall?" He asked me, astounded by the number of bags being hoisted into the mansion.  
"Just about." I replied with a smile. "I missed you." I shyly added.  
"Me too. Let's get witchy's stuff into her room and then go grab dinner. Sound good?"  
"That sounds fantastic, Damon." I replied, feeling my heart skip a beat at the thought of spending more time with him. We walked into the house together, smiling.  
"But seriously, Lena, where the hell is she going to store all this when she and Matt get home?"  
I laughed. Then I realized where it would all be going.  
Once we'd dropped off Bonnie's merchandise and headed downstairs for dinner, I shared my recent revelation with him.  
"Damon, I'm going to have to move. I mean, I did just buy this new house for the three of us to share, but it's not going to be big enough for a child too. There's no way I'd ask them to move. The house is perfect for a family." I said, looking up at him. He simply nodded his head and wrapped his arm around me.  
"I'm sure you'll figure it out, princess." He said as we walked upstairs from the basement.  
Well, this added a twist to my plans. Elena would be homeless in probably no more than 3 months, telling by witchy's purchasing today. I wanted to offer her my place as soon as the words left her mouth, but I didn't want to overstep any boundaries we still stubbornly had between us.  
When we reached the second floor, we realized no one was around. I entirely took advantage and grabbed her, spinning her, and covered her mouth gently with my own. God, I'd missed those lips all day. Slowly she responded and we stood there in our own world, exploring one another's mouths.  
Then we heard it. A shrill scream sounded from Caroline. In a split second we were upstairs and at her side. We took in the scene in front of us. There was literally blood everywhere. April's lifeless body lay face down on the bed she shared with Klaus. He was nowhere to be found. Elena and I looked to each other, silently communicating. She wrapped her arm around Blondie and led her toward Jeremy's room while I tried to figure out what the fuck happened. The amount of blood was incredible, but there were no signs of a struggle and no marks on her body.  
Then I heard two screams come from the direction of Jeremy's room. Fearing for Elena's life, I rushed out of the room and toward where she was.  
Getting lost with Damon was an experience I would never get used to and never get enough of. When we heard Caroline's screams, of course we rushed to her, but reluctantly; at least on my part.  
After taking in the scene she discovered, I looked to Damon and silently told him I was getting Care the hell away from it. I wrapped my arm around her shuddering form and led her toward her son's room to try and get her mind off of what she'd just seen.  
That was when we both screamed. Damon came running into Jeremy's room after us, looking confused.  
Caroline was in the floor sobbing and I was shaking like a leaf. All I could manage to get out as I turned to look at him were two words I prayed to God all this time I would never say again.  
"Jeremy's gone."

**And there it is. Review and I love forevers. **

**Until next time...**


	9. Basket Case

Chapter 9: Basket Case

**Life is unfair and I own nothing.**

Everyone else in the house, at this point, heard Caroline and Elena's hysterics and came rushing toward the source from the back yard of the mansion where they must have all been occupied.

Witchy got up to us first. "Wha- oh my God. Care, what's wrong? Talk to me."

With a blank stare in my eyes I replied "Jeremy's gone." My voice sounded lifeless, just like it did so long ago when I'd said those words before.

Bonnie looked up at me in disbelief. "That is beyond not fucking funny, Damon."

"Wish I was joking… " I said in my lifeless tone.

"Oh. My God. We have to find him, then. I'll go do my locator spell… " Bonnie said as she got up and ran to her room. I numbly nodded.

In the next moment Stefan was in the room, holding Caroline against his chest. "We'll find him, baby, we'll get him back. It's going to be okay. I promise." My baby brother said, rocking his wife back and forth on the floor. Elijah, Katherine, Rebecca and Tyler came bursting into the room at this point. They, of course had heard everything. Elijah directed everyone to look in different places throughout the house for Jeremy. Once again the room was occupied only by myself, Stefan, Caroline, and a unbelieveably distraught looking Elena. I finally snapped out of whatever trance this whole situation had thrown me into. I grabbed Elena and held her against me, feeling her shudders as she began hyperventilating. "J-Jeremy's… he's gone." She stammered. I kissed the top of her head, trying my best to soothe her. I gently pulled her toward our room, so that she could at least get away from the chaos that had suddenly surrounded us. She went willingly with me, sobbing.

* * *

How could this have happened? Not only was April dead, but Jeremy was gone. Could the same person have killed April and then taken Jeremy? Thoughts sped through my mind as Damon led me into our bedroom. Once we were in our room and he had closed the door, he looked me in the eyes, holding my arms in his hands, and said "We are going to find him, Elena. It's going to be okay." All I could do was numbly nod at him, not able to form words anymore.

Memories of losing my Jeremy came back with a vengance. Finding him so alone and empty in that tomb. Taking him back to his bedroom and laying him down, hoping against hope for him to awake. Finally admitting that he was gone. Burning down my childhood home along with my baby brother's corpse. These were the things I had run from all those years ago and in that moment I wanted nothing more than to do the same thing. To get away from all the tragedy, all the heartache.

I looked up at Damon, pleading silently for him to make it stop hurting, like he did before. But I knew he would never allow me to turn off my emotions again. He wouldn't want to put up with me like that again. Instead, he swept me off my feet and carried me over to the bed. Gently he laid me against the soft matress, went around the bed, and climbed on the bed next to me. I rolled onto my side, facing him, and the tears began to flood from my eyes as I let myself go. He cupped my face with his hands as he wiped away my tears. We layed like this for a long while before my eyes dried and I was left simply staring into the cobalt eyes of the man I loved but didn't deserve to have again.

I finally found words and the strength to say them as I looked into his eyes. "What are we supposed to do, Damon? How are we supposed to even begin to look for him if we don't even know who took him or why?" I suddenly sat up, "We shouldn't just be laying here, we need to be out there looking for him!"

Damon pulled me back down onto the bed gently and said "Princess, there's nothing we can do right now that Elijah, Katherine, Bonnie, Matt, Tyler, and Rebecca aren't doing already. Please, sweetheart, you've been through enough. Just rest. Caroline will need you to be strong tomorrow."

"You're right, Damon. Thank you for forcing me to rest." I said with a shy smile and a yawn. I wasn't aware of how exhausting stress was before. All I wanted to do was sleep. I felt my eyes getting heavy as I heard Damon's silky smooth voice say "Ric and Meredith should be getting back soon. I'm going to go greet them when they arrive and let her investigate Klaus and April's room."

I groaned and shook my head. "Don't leave me, please." I pled as I grabbed his torso and dragged myself into him, burrowing my face into his chest as he wrapped his arms tightly around me and kissed the crown of my head. I felt him chuckle at my demanding as he softly ran his fingers through my hair, causing me to become even more drowsy than before. "Ok, baby." He said as he pulled the covers around us and I drifted off.

* * *

As I was telling Elena about my plans to let Meredith investigate the crime scene in Klaus and April's bedroom, it dawned on me. Where the hell was Klaus? I wanted to believe that he had changed, but a lot of that change was thanks to what he has, err had with April. If she were to die, there's probably very little that he wouldn't do to get her back. Oh shit.

I decided to hold Elena and let everyone else know later. It was obvious to me that she was on the edge of losing herself again and I would do anything and everything in my power to prevent her from turning it all off again. Besides, I could not be in a better place than with my arms wrapped around this woman, keeping her safe and letting her sleep in peace.

I must have drifted off myself as I was awoken by the sound of my car rolling up the driveway. Alaric and Meredith had arrived. I looked down at the angel still wrapped up in my arms, softly snoring. A genuine smile spread across my face. Would I ever get used to seeing her in my arms and at such peace?

I gently peeled myself from around her and tucked her into the covers, placing a feather light kiss to her temple as she sighed and snuggled deeper into the pillows. I smiled to myself as I quietly left the room and padded downstairs to greet Ric and Meredith and fill them in on the chaos still going on in the house.

When I arrived downstairs, I saw Stefan sitting forward on a couch, resting his elbows on his knees and sipping on a tumbler of bourbon. I sat next to him and asked if there was any news on Jeremy. He looked up at me with a look of such pain and loss that I almost thought that they'd found Jeremy's body. Then he spoke. "No one's been able to find him, Damon. None of us could find him. Caroline's finally asleep from the exhaustion of everything she's seen today. I'm scared, brother. I don't know what's going to happen."

I patted Stefan on the back and let him in on my secret notion. "Stef, I think I know who at least took Jeremy." At his anticipating, shocked gaze I continued. "Has anyone seen Klaus today?"

"Oh my God, Damon, you are NOT blaming my brother!" Barbie Klaus suddenly yelled. "He would never ever hurt April. What reason would he have to take Jeremy?" She said, exasperated.

"Well, even I know he would never hurt April, but he would do anything to get her back if she died." I said, looking from Barbie Klaus to Stefan. A look of understanding broke on his face. "Oh my God. Damon, Jeremy's blood… maybe it can… I don't know, heal? Resurrect? Holy shit. We have to find him." Stefan spoke, speaking quicker with each word.

"Exactly what I was thinking. Becca, will you go tell Bonnie all of this? We don't want to hurt Klaus. He's hurting already and there might be another way to help April without putting Jeremy in any more danger."

"Did you just call me by my name? I mean, yeah, I'll go tell her. Thanks for thinking of my brother, Damon." With that, she turned and went upstairs to tell Bonnie about my revelation.

It was then that Alaric and Meredith came through the door with broad smiles on their faces.

"Hey, guys, how's everything?" Alaric asked, oblivious to the ominous tone of the whole house.

"Ric! Just the man I need right now!" I said, clapping him on the back. "Things are shitty. April's dead upstairs, oh, Meredith, hello, would you mind looking into that? And Jeremy's gone missing."

"Wait, whoa. How? What?" Alaric stammered, trying to collect himself after my slight onslaught of information.

"Yep. Jeremy's at large, as is one Klaus. Shall we go look for him?" I said, suggestively raising my eyebrows.

"Uh, yeah, of course. But Stefan should come, right? I mean, Jeremy is his son."

"No no, guys. Caroline needs me here and besides, I'd be an emotional mess trying to find him. Just, be quick and get him back safely. Please." Stefan said, his inner turmoil breaking the surface.

I approached my baby brother and said "I promise you, Stef, we're going to go get Jeremy and Klaus and we'll all four be back unscathed before you know it." Placing my hands on his shoulders I looked him in the eye until he responded "I trust you, brother, I just hope it's not too late."

"It's not. Come on Ric, let's do this." I said, turning from my brother, grabbing the keys to my car from a still semi-stunned Alaric, and heading out the door with him at my heels.

Elena was going to be so pissed off at me when she finds out my plans, but she still loves me, I think, so she'll get over it. Besides, Wednesday was still a go.

* * *

I woke up once again to an empty bed. I could hear Damon talking to Alaric and then shuffling before the front door shut. Groggily, I made my way downstairs and sat next to Stefan after pouring myself a bourbon.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, secretly meaning only Damon.

"Caroline's asleep in our bedroom, Meredith and Alaric got here a little while ago. She is upstairs checking out the crime scene. Bonnie is still trying to do the location spell with Matt's help. Katherine and Elijah are out with Tyler looking for Jeremy still. And then Alaric and Damon..." Stefan trailed off.

"Where are they, Stefan?" I practically demanded before softening as I realized the stress he must be under.

"Damon figured out that Klaus took Jeremy, presumably after finding April's body. They're going after him right now. No idea when they'll be back. Rebecca is upstairs with Bonnie too, telling her about the latest development in this fuck storm." Stefan sighed and I placed my hand on his shoulder.

"Everything is going to be fine. I know it's hard to believe right now, but Klaus has changed. I really don't believe for a second he would mortally wound Jeremy. Damon and Ric will find him and sort everything out before anyone gets too out of control. And if they can't find him, Bonnie will. Seriously, Stef, none of us are going to let anything happen to J-him." I promise solemnly. I still couldn't say that name. Maybe I never would be able to.

Stefan finally raised his head and looked me in the eyes. I had to fight hard to not break down at the look of utter devastation in his eyes. Never before had I seen him look this way. In that moment all I wanted to do was whatever it took to get that look off of his face. Since I couldn't do that, I decided to go see how things were with Bonnie and maybe check in on Care.

When I reached Bonnie and Matt's bedroom door, I could sense the power Bonnie was using. It was beyond powerful.

"Hey guys, c-can I come in?" I sheepishly asked as I knocked on the door.

Matt replied "sure Elena, come in." I opened the door and my mouth fell open.

* * *

"Seriously, Damon? Where the hell are we supposed to even begin to look?!" Alaric exclaimed as we drove down the highway.

"We'll hopefully witchy will be able to narrow it down to at least a state or country here soon." I replied, pressing down on the accelerator harder than necessary. I was trying to block from my mind the image of Elena's face when we returned. I was in for it, big time. Or maybe not. Maybe, she'll be so happy to have Jeremy back that my head will be spared.

Wishful thinking...

My phone rang about an hour later. Alaric quickly answered it and told me what could only be witchy was saying.

"Klaus is in New Orleans." Alaric said, ending the call.

Since we were already in Georgia, that was a blessing. "Good. We're only a few hours away, unless you let me speed." I looked at my friend with a smirk plastered across my face.

"Goddammit Damon, fine. Let's just get this over with and get back home to our...err, my woman. How are things with you and Elena?"

My foot involuntarily slammed down on the gas and we jerked forward as my speedometer quickly approached 100.

"We're good, I guess. She's gonna be pissed at me when we get back, so how good we are may be subject to change shortly." I admitted. "We aren't back together yet, but if no more shit hits the fan, that may be changing Wednesday." I smiled to myself at the plan I had brewing in my head as we sped toward New Orleans at a faster than safe rate.

* * *

Bonnie's nose was bleeding profusely as she chanted the spell to find Klaus and Jeremy.

"Matt, what the hell is going on? Why is she bleeding like that?" I asked.

"Whenever she uses a lot of power, this type of thing still happens."

"Well damn..."

"Hey guys, I found them." Bonnie suddenly said, pointing to a place on the map. When I looked where she was pointing, I gasped.

"New Orleans? Why would he..."

"There are a lot of powerful witches in New Orleans, 'Lena. Jeremy's blood must have some kind of super healing power."

"Okay. I'll call Alaric and you two get cleaned up. Christ, Bonnie, this place looks like a massacre took place in it!"

"Sorry." She replied sheepishly.

"It's ok. Just don't ever do it again until that baby is out of your body, got it?" I warned. Before she could respond, I turned and left for my bedroom to call Alaric.

"Ric, Klaus is in New Orleans. Get there quick, Bonnie said there are multiple very powerful witches there. Jer's blood must have some kind of healing or resurrecting power. Hurry, please."

"You got it. Thanks for the update."

"Hey Ric?"

"Yeah."

"Tell Damon I'm not mad at him for just up and leaving. I don't deserve to know where he is after he had no idea where I was for a decade."

"I will tell him...maybe." I could hear his smirk over the phone.

"You two be safe, kay?"

"You got it. Bye now."

"Bye."

I hung up the phone and went to check on Caroline. Poor thing, I couldn't imagine the pain she was in right now.

I quietly opened her bedroom door and crept in, watching her sleeping form on the bed. I hadn't been in Stefan's bedroom since we broke up and it was odd how much girlier it was now. Classic Care. I sat on the edge of the bed and swept some of Caroline's hair off of her cheek. She groggily opened her eyes, which were now red from crying.

"Hey. How you feeling?"

"Pathetic. My son is missing and there's not a damn thing I can do."

"Well I come bearing good news. Bon found him and Klaus. Damon and Ric are on their way down to get Jer and try to talk some sense into Klaus."

Care shot up and hugged me. "Oh my God, that is wonderful! But, where is 'down', exactly?"

"New Orleans."

"Well, I guess my son is going to get to experience it a little earlier than expected." Caroline said with a sigh.

"Let's go get something to eat. Sound good to you?"

"Sounds amazing,'Lena." She said as she released me. "Thanks so much for...well, everything. I've missed you so much. It's good to have you back and by my side."

"It feels good to be back, Care. I've missed you all too."

With that we ventured downstairs to get something to eat and wait for an update from the boys.

Stefan's face when he saw Caroline's look of relief was immediate. "They found him, didn't they?" He said and as I nodded, he wrapped his arms around me and then moved to his wife.

"Everything is going to be okay."

I sure as hell hoped so.

One way or another, the next week was going to be life changing for every one of us.

We just didn't know it yet.


	10. Animal Crackers

Chapter 10: Animal Crackers

"Shh. Do you WANT Klaus to hear us?!" Alaric said when I stepped on something as we approached the door I'd been hearing sounds behind. I could hear Jeremy's heartbeat and Klaus'...chuckles? I didn't even know he was capable of humor.  
"Sorry, it doesn't really matter though. He's an original. He knows we're here probably. The good news is that Jeremy appears alive a well." I mumbled.  
"Sometimes I wish I had vampire hearing, so I couldn't be snuck up on. Mere gets a sick pleasure out of scaring the shit out of me. Se forgets I can't use that Gilbert ring anymore. Maybe she's going to take out insurance on me and then off me for the money..." Alaric sighed.  
"Ok, paranoid. Let's focus on the goal here, Jeremy. On three, open the door and I'll make my entrance." I said, smugly wiggling my eyebrows.  
"Jesus Christ, Damon. I'm not a girl, your charms fail me. Anyways, sounds like a plan. Just don't get killed or anything. We're here to save Jeremy, not you too." Alaric whispered.  
"Whatever, here we go. One...two..."  
Son of a bitch. I told him THREE. Alaric ripped the door practically off of its hinges at two and there I stood, looking a total idiot as Klaus gawked up at me and Jeremy burst into giggles.  
I had to remember to kick Ric's ass for that stunt.  
"Well Klaus, imagine running into you here." I said nonchalantly as I entered the room. I took in the surroundings as I walked. Toys were scattered all over the floor. Klaus and Jeremy were on the floor coloring on an oversized coloring book. Klaus had changed...for the weirder.  
"I just wanted to spend some time with little Jeremy, love. No need for theatrics. I will be needing his blood, but finding a witch willing to do that resurrection spell is proving...shall we say, difficult." Klaus said.  
"We'll why in the hell did you kidnap him to New Orleans, then." I was confused.  
"I thought I could find a witch to perform the spell and I didn't feel like having to go retrieve the boy then." Klaus replied matter-of-factly. "But seeing as that hasn't been fruitful, I suppose it is time to return to Fall's Church. Perhaps my April isn't supposed to come back after all." He looked so defeated and lost, I actually felt bad for him.  
"Fancy giving us a ride, boys?" He said, finally looking up.  
"Hell, why not." Alaric said from behind me.  
As we all departed from the room, Jeremy burst into tears. I immediately whirled around, fearing that Klaus had decided to not cooperate after all. Jeremy was looking at the ground as he sobbed and following his gaze, I realized what I'd stepped on when we were approaching that door. A box of animal crackers lay brutally murdered no doubt from Uncle Damon's clumsiness. I wrapped my arms around the boy and hoisted him onto my hip. While I wiped his tears away, I said "It's okay, buddy. I'll buy you two more boxes to make up for the one I carelessly killed. Okay?"  
Sniffling, Jeremy nodded his head and then wrapped his arms around my neck as he snuggled deeper into me.  
The walk to the car and drive back to Falls Church was quiet and actually pleasant. The occasional joke was even exchanged as Jeremy slept in my lap in the back seat with Klaus and Ric in the front.

* * *

When I heard the sound of Damon's car approaching the mansion, a sigh of relief escaped my lips. Stefan had gone to bed once he knew his brother was bringing his son home. Tyler and Rebecca had gone out for drinks with Matt. Elijah and Katherine had gone to retrieve more blood and Meredith was still surveying the crime scene that just this morning was Klaus and April's bedroom. Bonnie and I flanked Caroline on the couch in the library, all in our pajamas, as we waited for the boys to get back. Care was still a basket case. The three of us were snuggled up under a very soft, very large blanket.

Moments like this made me glad that I'd come back. It was almost as though we were three human women instead of two vampires and a (very powerful) witch.

We'd all drifted off to sleep and I was jolted awake by the sound of the front door opening. Had I not heard Damon's car coming, I may have jumped at the sound. Alaric came in first with Klaus, gesturing to me to keep quiet, which was not a problem since Caroline would likely try to kill Klaus when she saw him again. I gestured that Meredith was still upstairs and Ric drug Klaus up the stairs in that direction.  
Then Damon came in and my heart literally melted in my chest. Jeremy was softly snoring in his uncle's arms, his head burrowed into Damon's shoulder and his arms wrapped tightly around Damon's neck. I didn't want the moment to end, but knew Care would kill me if I didn't. I gently nudged her and she awoke. Groggily, her eyes fluttered open and then she was next to Damon in a split second and taking Jeremy into her own arms, thanking Damon profusely. She even kissed his cheek before ascending the stairs to put Jeremy to bed. Bonnie was still fast asleep. Damon quietly approached the couch, picked her up, and rushed her to her and Matt's bedroom before returning to me and extending his hand.  
I took it and was led upstairs to our bedroom. While in route, he leaned in and whispered "Nice PJs." It was then that I looked down and realized what was on my pajamas. Little images of Rolling Stones mouths with fangs and the words Bite Me under them were scattered all over my black top and pants. I giggled as we entered the room, never feeling so relieved to see a bed in my life.  
"This day has been hell." I sighed as I pulled the covers back and slid in. I looked up as my head hit the pillow and saw the look on Damon's face. I propped myself up on my elbows and raised my eyebrow as I asked him what that look was for.

* * *

I wanted to say it right then and there but I knew it wasn't the right time. Story of our relationship. Instead I told her that I was just happy to see her. I slid into bed next to her and wrapped my arms around her small frame. If I got to do this for forever, I'd likely be the luckiest man to ever live. And the happiest vampire.  
She curled up in my arms and I felt her sigh against my chest. Softly I stroked her hair and felt her entire body relax all at once. She pulled back and looked up at me. "I don't believe for a second that that look was just you being happy to see me."  
Ah, shit. Plan B. "You're right. I was scared to death that you would be beyond pissed at me for taking off like that. That look was me realizing how wrong I was. I just don't get why."  
"Damon, after what I did all those years ago, I didn't deserve to know when you were going to take off or where. I still don't. I'm beyond sorry for what I did and I understand if you can't forgive me." A single tear fell down her cheek as she finished talking. I wiped it away with the pad of my thumb and before I could stop myself, my lips crashed into hers.

* * *

After what I'd just said, the last thing I expected was for my lips to be consumed by his. In a way, it was his version of forgiving me. The floodgates opened and I struggled to fight back the sobs building within my chest. He caught on and abruptly drew back, looking at me with such concern that my heart swelled and the sobs finally broke through. He pulled me against him and soothingly rubbed my back and hair, trying to get me to calm down.  
"'Lena. Listen to me. I forgave you long ago. All this guilt and sorrow you harbor, it's unnecessary. You absolutely deserve to know when I run off and where. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. It isn't going to happen again. I promise." His deep voice calmed me as much as his words did.  
"B-but why?" I sniffled, looking up at him again.  
"You really don't know?" Confusion flooded through my body before the realization hit me like a brick wall.  
"Still? Seriously?"  
"Yep. Even after all this time. Even after everything."

* * *

Well, I guess it was now or never, somehow, for the first time, it was the right time. She had figured out that I was still in love with her. I only had to practically beat her over the head with it. I looked down into her eyes, waiting for the inevitable words she had said so many times before, proving once and for all my love was unrequited.  
Instead, my whole universe came to a halt as she spoke.  
"I love you too, Damon. It's always been true. I'll always be in love with you." She sweetly smiled up at me as I tried my damnedest to respond, shit, to fucking breathe.  
"Seriously?" "Seriously."

* * *

The look on his face could have literally lit up the whole of Falls Church. I couldn't help myself. I crushed myself against him as our lips met again and our tongues fought for dominance. The straps of my tank began sliding down my arms followed by the gentlest of touches. Our lips parted as our mouthes explored one another's bodies again. Familiar as we were with one another, I never got enough of the taste of his skin, the smell of him. He was my other half and I was his. We weren't skirting around it anymore. The truth was out and we were finally free to just...be.

* * *

Fast forward four hours and I lay with Elena in my arms again, sans clothes. Her breathing was finally stabilizing and I kissed the top of her head while she drew circles on my chest. It was now or never, Salvatore.  
"Hey Elena?" I said. "Hmm..." She hummed in response, causing my smile to widen to dangerous proportions.  
"I think you should like totally be my girlfriend." I smirked at how childish that sentence sounded.  
"Totally? Hmm...I totally think that would be like, super." I felt her grin widely as she said it.  
I tilted her face up to mine and kissed her gently before kissing her forehead and letting her rest. My eyes fluttered closed as my personal heaven softly snored in my arms.


	11. Feather Pillows

**Coming Home Chapter 11: Feather Pillows**

**This chapter is fluff atop fluff atop almost smut. You're welcome. =)**

**Reviews? On with the show...**

The next morning I woke to Elena on the far side of the bed curled in a ball. She was shaking like a leaf. Since vampires couldn't get cold, it had to be from fear.  
"Lena? You okay?" I whispered, not wanting to startle her. I got no response. I scooted closer, gently wrapped my arm around her, and turned her to face me. She was still asleep, but she was sobbing. I wiped away the tears as best as I could and gently shook her to wake her up.  
Her eyes fluttered open and as she discovered where she was, she burst into sobs again as she wrapped her arms around me and clung to me like Jeremy had the night before. Where the hell had this come from? All I could do was lay there and hold her as she lost herself in her sobs.  
When she finally stopped sobbing and was reduced to sniffles, I wiped her tears from her cheeks as I spoke.  
"Lena, what's going on? I haven't seen you this upset since...yeah."  
"It's j-just th-this dream I- I keep having. It's memories from before I came back. I'm sorry you saw this. I feel like an idiot."  
"Do not ever apologize for crying, Elena. How long have these dreams been happening?"  
"We'll I had them every single night for the past 5 years but they suddenly stopped about 6 months ago. They just started back up within, oh, the past week? Stress, I suppose."  
I nodded as I took in this information and swept a lock of hair from her face.  
"What happens in them? What are you remembering that is so terrible? Is it-"  
"They're memories from Atlanta. Um, some things happened a few years after I left. Things that would devastate certain people if they were revealed."  
"Elena...tell me."  
" I-I can't, not right now. Not here. Just...I can't. I'm sorry."  
"It's okay, but before this whole fiasco is over, you are going to tell me everything. Okay?"  
She nodded and gave me one of her perfect smiles as she reached up to place her lips on mine. Mornings were never going to be the same, were they? Waking up to this every day seemed like the perfect way to spend eternity. I happily gave in to her advances and we made out like two high schoolers for what felt like eternity.  
Then Katherine burst into the room, entirely ruining our moment.

* * *

As I tried to get Damon to forget all about what he'd just seen, using my lips of course, I heard footsteps approaching just as the door to our bedroom burst open and a very...interesting looking Katherine appeared at the foot of our bed, practically doing flips from excitement.  
"OH MY GOD GUYS! Elena, I gotta talk to you NOW!" She squealed. Katherine actually squealed. This was huge. I hopped out of bed and followed her out into the hallway. It was nice to see someone all bent out of shape from happiness for a change rather than as the result of the latest tragedy.  
"Ok Kat, spill. I was very warm and happy and you came in all flippity. I would like to return to my warm happy place ASAP."  
"Sorry, lovely. But this was way too huge to keep to myself and since everyone else is asleep...yeah. Anyways, Elijah proposed to me this morning."  
My eyes had to look like two planets in that moment. Never did I think that those two would actually work it all out and end up engaged, yet here we were.  
"Holy Christ, Kat! That's awesome!" This time I squealed as I embraced my identical, 500 year senior, sister. Squeals rung out from us both as we hopped around squealing before she pulled away to show me the ring.  
"That has got to be the oldest, largest stone I have ever seen. Only an original..." I smirked and sighed.  
"Only MY original." She winked and waved as she flitted back to her room to tell Elijah all about our little exchange. Crazy girl.  
I decided that she had the right idea as a smile emerged on my face and I entered my own bedroom again, knowing Damon heard every bit. When I reached the bed, I heard his soft snores. Maybe he hadn't heard any of it after all. I sat on the bed and just watched him sleep for a few minutes. He looked so harmless and at peace. If I wasn't one, and I didn't know him, I'd think he was just an unfairly handsome human sleeping. But I knew what he was capable of. I knew the horrible things he'd done, but I knew the amazing man he was too. The way he'd always sacrificed for the people he cared about, whether he admitted it or not.  
The way he'd always chosen me. How he did everything he could to protect me and keep me from the fate he had before him. And when it wasn't enough and I became a vampire, he still loved me and protected me as he did when I was a human. Even when I'd shut it off, he stayed. Stefan had been my first love, and he always would have a special place in my heart, but Damon. Damon was the love of my existence. As long as I existed, he would protect me, love me, and above all put up with me in a way that only Damon Salvatore could. I had loved Damon since the first time we met (that I remembered as a human) in the foyer of the same mansion we were in now. It just took losing my life to admit it to myself, and losing my humanity for him to really believe me.  
There he lay, snoring softly. Why had I stayed away for so long?  
I crawled under the covers next to him, snuggled against the heat of his body, and wrapped myself around him. He stirred only long enough to wrap himself around me too before we both fell asleep again. The world's problems could wait for a few more hours...

* * *

When I woke up again, the sun was streaking in through the windows on either side of the bed. I could hear Elena's soft snoring as I felt her breath brush against my chest. She smelled like roses and honey. No other person in the history of time had that smell. I'd dreamt of it for over a decade now and to wake up with it in my nostrils was a blessing I wasn't sure I'd ever experience again. She shifted against me and rolled onto her back. No tears this time. In that moment I wished she was human again, just so I could see what was playing in that beautifully stubborn mind of hers.  
There was always vervain...kidding of course! Well, mostly.  
It was then that I realized how quiet the Salvatore boarding house was today. Now I hate to be pessimistic, but silence in Falls Church typically means all hell is going to break loose before sunset. Ugh.  
I heard Jeremy pad into Stefan and Care's bedroom and then his squeals as he no doubt pounced on them and was promptly tickled, likely by my baby brother.  
Kat and Elijah were having a conversation in the kitchen. She sounded happier than usual. Oh God, had she killed someone again?  
Matt's overly loud snores could have easily been heard by a human, so obviously they were like a jet engine to my ears. I heard a groan from Bonnie then a grunt from Matt before his snoring stopped. Good girl, witchy.  
Rebecca was talking to Klaus in the library, trying to get information from him and comforting him, saying that it would all be okay. What was with these women acting all sentimental? Had witchy's pregnancy hormones transferred to them all?  
Alaric and Tyler were in Klaus' bedroom with Meredith, still trying to figure out what the hell happened.  
It sounded to me like everything was being handled without me or Elena. I was more than okay with that. Never before had she and I just been allowed to do this; to just be lazy, lay in bed together and rest. It was fantastic. I turned on the TV on the opposite wall from the bed and watched CNN while Elena wrapped herself around me again. The rest of the world seemed to be still standing, so that was always good, right?

* * *

I woke up in Damon's arms and felt the sun coming in from the windows. That was one of the things about being a vampire I still couldn't get used to, knowing when the sun was up. I groaned, not wanting to move and certainly not wanting to get up and face the traumas outside of this bedroom. I decided to do an inventory of the chaos.  
Let's see...Bonnie was in the bathroom taking a shower, or puking and trying to be considerate to all the vampires in the house.  
Matt was snoring loudly, as usual. I need to remember to get him something for that, like a pillow to put over his face.  
Tyler and Rebecca were talking to Klaus about what to do from here. Well, that was progress.  
Stefan and Caroline were. Oh God. Never mind.  
Jeremy was playing in his room with Ric while Meredith slept in her and Alaric's room. Poor woman.  
Elijah and Katherine were watching a movie in the theatre.  
All seemed well in Casa de Salvatore. A sigh of relief escaped my lips, warranting a chuckle from Damon. I glared up at him in mock horror.  
"How dare you find humor in my relief?" I exclaimed, a smirk spreading across my lips.  
"I would never, princess." He replied, returning my smirk with one of his own. Good god I was in deep with this man.

* * *

Anderson Cooper had just gone off when I felt Elena shift next to me. Knowing she was likely trying to not have to move a muscle, I let her scan the house for any pressing issues. When she realized that there were none, her sigh was one of the cutest, sexiest things I'd ever heard. Only Elena Gilbert could turn a man on with a sigh of relief. Good grief.  
Things only got worse as I watched her reaction to my uncontrollable chuckle. Her mock anger was even cuter than her sigh. Why did I have to chuckle? This was quickly turning into torture, for me at least. I looked down at her and smirked as I replied to her adorable remark.  
I ran my fingers through her hair and smiled to myself as her eyes flitted closed at the sensation. She always had enjoyed having her hair played with. She succumbed to the feeling of having my fingers run through her hair and laid her head back down on my chest as her breathing deepened and she slipped into a state of utter relaxation.  
"What the hell are you watching?" She managed to mumble. "Uh, now I don't know." It was CNN but apparently the channel changed...  
I found the remote and changed the channel to an old movie channel and relaxed myself as Gone with the Wind began.

* * *

"Damon, can we do this more often?" I timidly asked as I fought the urge to just pass out again. Gone with the Wind was one of my favorite movies and I didn't want to sleep through a minute of it. Especially when I was watching it in the arms of a Civil War veteran. Haha.  
"I think it should be required that we do this much more often, princess." He replied. I looked at the clock and realized it was only noon. The thought of spending the rest of the day like this was too appealing to turn down.  
"Do you happen to have plans today?"  
"Actually, yes." I frowned at his response until he continued. "I was planning to lay here for the rest of time with this amazing woman."  
"You don't say, I planned to lay here for the rest of time too. Comfy bed and all, what more could a girl ask for?" I teased.  
"Guess I'll have to tell her to not come then." He smirked and I slapped his arm. "Oh, never mind. There's my girl." He smiled his brilliant smile and my whole universe got a little brighter. I snuggled further into his arms and went back to watching the movie, all the while absently tracing patterns on his chest.

* * *

It was good to see Elena being a smartass again. Before she took off on me, I wasn't sure any of us would see that Elena again. At least not the one that didn't mean what she said.  
Gone with the Wind's credits began scrolling down the plasma tv screen. "You know, 'Lena, much as I don't want to budge, we both need to eat."  
" I don't know, becoming desiccated like this would be pretty cool." She smirked up at me. "But I have to agree with you, love. I'll go-"  
I was already out the door and running to grab blood bags from the basement before I could even hear the rest of that sentence. Part of the rush was from not wanting to be away from her. Another part was not wanting to be seen and dragged into the day's dramatics. I actually almost managed it.  
Little Jeremy was in the upstairs hallway when I came back upstairs. When I saw him just standing there, I approached him and asked what was up.  
"Oh, hey Unkie Damon. I was just thinking, I guess. I know who did this to April."  
I was about to turn and go when what he said hit me.  
"You know? Why haven't you told anyone, buddy?"  
"Seriously? Who's going to listen to a kid?" He raised his eyebrows as he awaited my response.  
"Gotcha. Well I will. So spill it."  
He took a deep breath. "Okay. There was this girl I saw outside my window the other day. She looked really angry and like she knew Tyler and Klaus. She was watching them talk out on the patio out back. Suddenly she wasn't there anymore. Then I saw her again the night April...you know. It was her. It had to be."  
"Wow, Jer. I think you are right. Thank you for telling me. I'm gonna go tell your mom and dad, ok? Everything is going to be fine."  
"Okay. I'll go play now." He turned and left in the direction of his bedroom.  
I rushed downstairs and found Caroline and Stefan in the kitchen.  
"Guys, your kiddo is a miracle. He just told me who did this to April."  
"Well we always knew he was amazing. Wait, what?" Stefan said, literally gawking at me.  
"Yeah. He told me. I'm entirely willing to spill, but I need you two to help me with this plan I have for Wednesday. You agree, I spill, okay?" Of course they agreed after I told them what my plans were.  
"Okay, so here's what he told me..."

* * *

What the hell was taking Damon so long? I felt abandoned. Reluctantly, I crept from the bed to the door and cracked it open. No signs of life. Hmm...  
I walked down the hall and found Jeremy in his room playing with Alaric.  
"Seen a vampire, about yay high, black hair, blue eyes?" I asked.  
"Nope." Ric answered.  
"Yeah. He's downstairs talking to mommy and daddy about what I told him." Jeremy spit out at an almost inhuman speed.  
"We'll, thanks...Jer." I smiled to myself as I turned and left the room, proud that I'd been able to say that word without losing it.  
When I reached the kitchen, I could tell that Damon was giving a speech and the words April, Klaus, and Tyler were involved. So Jeremy knew what happened. I had to know too. I entered the kitchen and snuck behind Damon, as I was about to pounce, he spun around and swept me off my feet, causing me to squeak. He set me down, wrapped his warm arms around me, and continued.  
"So anyway, she had to be the one to do it. It all makes sense if you toss her into the equation. Right?"  
Stefan and Caroline both nodded, twin looks of disbelief on their faces. Care was the first to speak. "So you're telling me that she's back from New Orleans? Why wouldn't she have gone after Re- oh. Cause she's and original. Huh. It does all make sense now. Damn."  
"So what the hell do we do now?" Stefan asked, obviously frustrated.  
"Well, while you boys figure that out, I'm going to go smother my son in kisses for his brilliance." Caroline called out as she sped out the door and toward her son's room.  
"Stef, I'd tell the others and let them help. I'm indisposed for the rest of the day. Sorry, baby bro." Damon shrugged and then took my hand as he exited the room, dragged my very willing form back to our room. A huge smile broke across my face at the gesture. He was as eager to get back to where we left off a I was. We were like teenagers...virgin teenagers. Not having sex but still being intimate. I didn't know we were capable of such control. I liked it.  
As we entered the bedroom, I grabbed one of the blood bags from his hands and proceeded to drink the whole thing, filling my need immediately. It was remarkable how little blood vampires survived on. I'd be set for another day now. Damon mirrored my actions and then surprised me, grabbing the bag in my hand, tossing both into the trash in the corner without looking. The next thing I knew, I was pinned against the wall by his pelvis.  
So much for not having sex, I thought as his mouth consumed mine.

* * *

I'd been such a good boy all day and dammit, she was just too fucking beautiful to resist. My inner badass was pouting. After I finished my blood bag, I let myself lose control. I pinned her against the wall and devoured her lips like I'd longed to all that time in that bed. Her response was immediate and our tongues were soon exploring one another's mouths.  
I tore my lips from hers to begin exploring her familiar body instead. I trailed kisses down one side of her neck, beginning behind her ear, eliciting a moan from her lips, as I expected. I continued my voyage across her collar bone and up the other side of her neck, ending in another feather-light kiss behind her other ear. She clutched me to her with that. I returned to her lips, gently biting her lower lip and causing a gasp to escape her. I took her hands, intertwining them with mine and pinning them against the wall above her.  
At this point she was writhing against me, and I was very glad we had shut the door behind us.  
Poor Jeremy, if he walked in on this...he'd be either scarred, or educated. Knowing the kid, probably the latter.  
"Damon, please..." she moaned against my lips, rocking her hips against mine.  
"Oh Elena, I'm just getting started..."

* * *

This was not in my plans for how the afternoon would be going, but I couldn't possibly complain. Only Damon could elicit from my body the things he was right now. My body involuntarily writhed against his, knowing the pleasure that awaited us both. We'd both been in control of ourselves all day, but now it was a battle of who would give in first. Guess it would be me, it usually was. Again, totally not sorry.  
I begged him and he responded with that smartass remark. So that's how this would be going. Alright, game on, Salvatore.  
I wrapped my legs around his waist, ramping up the writhing. Immediately I could sense his level of arousal heighten. His member pressed against me right where I needed him and the material of our pajamas standing in the way of release was enough to almost drive me mad. I couldn't even try to fix that situation, he had me pinned, my hands above my head, and he was older than me, therefore stronger. Damn it. The moans I'd been able to keep in were getting harder and harder to contain.  
To distract myself from his torture, I took my lips on an exploration of their own. I nibbled on his ear lobes, eliciting a groan from him as he continued his assault on my upper body. I kissed his neck and let my lips travels over hips shoulders, behind his ears, and onto his face until our lips met again. We both let out a moan this time and I wasn't so sure he wouldn't be the one to cave first.  
This was, by far, my favorite game. Ever.  
He began grinding against me, and I quickly matched him, thrust for thrust. We were both consumed by the other and neither of us wanted to be the one to cave and make that move toward more comfortable arrangements nearby.  
"Fuck Elena, cave already." He grunted, resting his forehead against mine, not letting up on his torture below a bit.  
"Not a chance, Salvatore." I grinned evilly. My eyes met his and all at once, we both stopped torturing the other. My legs slid down his as he released my hands. I cupped his face in my hands, never unlocking our eyes.  
Damon Salvatore was crying. I wasn't even sure he knew it, but there were tears streaming down his face. I'd never seen him cry before. He must have been taken aback by my expression since he froze when I did. Maybe he knew he was crying after all.  
Christ, what was going on?  
Gently, I wiped the tears from his cheeks with the pads of my thumbs; a gesture he'd performed on me too many times to count. Slowly, almost painfully so, I leaned in and pressed the gentlest of kisses on each of his cheeks where moments ago tears lay before kissing his lips with the same gentleness. I felt the tears stream down his cheeks again as he returned my kiss with one of his own with a gentleness I knew he possessed but had never used to kiss me with before. I felt tears sting at the backs of my own eyes at the immense amount of love and emotion that lay behind the kiss we were sharing in this moment.  
I pulled back, and looked at him, waiting for him to look at me again. He stared down at my hands which had come to rest on his bare chest. I guess I'd have to drag whatever this was out of him.  
"Hey, look at me..." I said, lifting my hand and gently pulling his face up until he looked me in the eye, tears swimming in his.  
"I just..." His voice broke. "I really can't- I mean, I don't know how-. Fuck. 'Lena, I just, I never get the girl. You know that. And...and I just can't imagine- I've never."  
"Damon Salvatore, look at me. Do I look like I'm about to run? There is nowhere else in the universe I would rather be than anywhere with you by my side. Got it? I'm not running anymore. I'm here. You got the girl. I. Love. You." As I said those three words, the tears that were swimming in his eyes before, finally fell down his cheeks. I kissed each of them as they streamed. He pulled me against him.  
"I'm sorry. I've just waited so long to hear that...from you. I'll never understand what you see in me, but I'll always be grateful that you see it. I love you too." He whispered against my ear. I pulled back and rested my forehead against his, looking into his eyes.  
"I don't deserve you or your love." He finally said. "You do, and I plan to make you believe that one day." I replied.  
"You saved me all those years ago; it's time I returned the favor," I smiled at him. "now, kindly allow me to remove myself from this wall."  
"Not a chance, Gilbert." He smirked at me, the brightness back in his eyes. Oh shit.

"Damon...let's think before we do something we regret..." I warned. It was futile.

A squeal escaped my lips as I was tackled to the floor by the god-looking man who had my heart. It's hard to remember the next hour due to the lack of oxygen. That was both a drawback and an advantage to vampirism. Tickle fights could continue endlessly when neither party needed air. We didn't have sex that day, but I don't think I've ever felt more intimate with him than I did that day.


	12. Say When

**Coming Home Chapter 12: Say When**

**I tried to keep this story awesome. I do have to say, how about that season finale? Team Delena FTW. =D**

**The beach was amazing, and I've got a few stories in the works. One will be season 5. Coming soon to a screen near you...that was a terrible one-liner. ENOUGH. Read on, my lovely loves...and review!**

During the night, I dreamt about those weeks years ago when everything seemed simpler. In reality what happened back then has haunted me ever since. The decisions that I blindly made were going to come back to kick me in the ass one day. I'd always known they would. But I still hope that they will recede into the past without bringing to light any indiscretions.  
Tears silently streamed down my cheeks as I rolled away from Damon's sleeping form. He has no idea why I'm so upset and I know that when I finally come clean to him, because let's face it, Damon is the only person I know I can tell and not worry about the fallout, when I come clean to him, his view of things will be so vastly changed. He's so happy right now, I am too, but when he finds out what happened, that happiness will lessen and I do not want to be the reason for that. Ever.  
I sigh as I think over my options. I promised him last night I wouldn't leave again, and that's a promise I will keep at all costs. As easy as it would be to run back to Atlanta and allow everyone to keep living with the lies that they don't even know, I owe it to Damon to stay and face this. I owe it to myself to face my own demons. All I can hope is that when all is said and done, I won't be utterly alone again.  
I feel him shuffle behind me before he throws his arm over my waist and pulls me against him. I can't help the smile that spreads across my face as he nuzzles behind my ear. I pretend to still be asleep so that he won't suspect that I've been crying. His soft snores soon fill my ears and I drift off myself, hoping that this time the dreams will be good.

* * *

The smell of Elena's hair overtakes my mind as I drift back to sleep. Whatever she was afraid to tell me, I know she'll come around eventually and we will work through whatever it is together. It can't possibly be that bad, right?  
My dreams take me to Atlanta, to Elena's apartment. Stefan is there and as I stand outside her front door, I hear Elena's voice.  
"This cannot continue, Stef. You need to leave. Now."  
"And if I don't? You're note seriously gonna call up Caroline and break her heart, now are you?"  
Her silence is all the answer he needs apparently. "I didn't think so."  
"Why are you doing this? Why can't you just let me go? Just leave. Please." Elena practically begged.  
"Now, baby, why would you want me to leave? We're in love, remember? Come on."  
When I hear Elena's reluctant groans, I've had enough. I open the front door, okay, I break the fucking thing down. The scene that greets me leaves me speechless for a split second before I take action. I slam Stefan against the wall, knocking off a painting in the process. My hand is wrapped tightly around his neck, hopefully wringing his breath from his worthless body.  
Elena cowers in the corner, covered from head to toe in bruises in various stages of healing. She's a vampire, so having an inability to heal is beyond my realm of understanding. But in that moment, I don't care. Stefan hurt Elena. My Elena. This is unforgivable, inexcusable. I will end him for this. Brother or not, he's taken his shit too far this time.  
I snap his neck and before his limp form hits the ground, I have Elena in my arms. She shakes uncontrollably and whispers "vervain" before she collapses.  
I'm jolted awake. Where in the HELL had that come from? Elena is softly snoring, facing me. Her chocolate locks fan out over the pillow behind her. That's when I notice it. She isn't smiling in her sleep, she's wearing the same expression I saw on her face as she collapsed in my arms moments ago. Did she just tell me what she's been hiding? Is she even aware that I was actually there?  
What the fuck is going on?

* * *

Well, so much for better dreams. At least Damon was in this version of the same nightmare I've lived with all this time. I sigh as I wearily open my eyes to a reality where those things are in the past and I'm safe and happy. The source of that happiness and safety has his arms wrapped tightly around me and I sense that he's tense about something. Yawning, I look up from his chest and realize that his face is etched with worry lines. I shift up on to my elbows and look at him as he stares ahead, seeming lost in thought. Absent-mindedly I attempt to smooth out those worry lines. He turns toward me and takes my hand in both of his, intertwining our fingers and placing a feather soft kiss to each of my knuckles, sending chills up and down my spine. It takes me a moment to recollect my thoughts.  
"Damon, what's wrong?"  
"Mmm, just a dream I had. Did you happen to pull me into yours? You had the same look on your face when I awoke as you did in the dream."  
"I-I don't think so. I don't even know how to do that, really. What happened, in your dream?" I nervously asked. Could he have really been there?  
"Stefan was at your apartment in Atlanta. You were hurt. I got pissed and...fixed the problem."  
Holy shit. He really was there. I don't want to lie to him. But if, well damn, when he figures it out, what I watched happen in my dream might really happen...just in a different setting. With everyone here...oh my god.  
"Damon, I need you to promise me something."  
"Anything, princess."  
"Do not do anything until this whole reunion is over and everyone has gone home. Seriously."  
"Alright. I swear I'll be a good boy until everyone else leaves on Sunday, but then all bets are off." He looks at me and I see the fire of rage in his eyes. "Now tell me what is going in or what went on, preferably before I lose my shit."  
It was now or never. "Damon, what you saw in your dream...that wasn't a dream, it was a memory. Stefan came down to Atlanta to visit Bonnie and figured out where I was..."  
After I finished telling him what happened, I looked up at him and saw the stoic look on his face. I could tell he was trying his best to keep his promise. I watched as he struggled to tuck away the anger until Sunday. I leaned in and swept a trail of kissed along his jaw. He relaxed and slowly began returning my kisses. I loved how easily I could distract him.

* * *

How little I really knew about my former baby brother. I was done with him. Even brothers have their breaking points, and this was definitely mine. I wouldn't kill him, for Caroline and Jeremy's sakes. But I was no longer going to put up with his bullshit. What made this all worse, was that it took place when he was dating Caroline. He obviously didn't tell Elena and I wasn't about to either. She's already torn herself up over it for five years; why add more things to feel shitty about?  
Her kisses along my jaw officially distracted me from my thoughts. I neatly filed them away under "Reasons to End Stefan" and then joined in on the festivities.  
My mouth explored over her chest, my tongue dipping between her breasts before I took one nipple in my mouth and gently sucked on it, eliciting a mouth watering groan from her. I pinched the first nipple and slowly massaged it as I continued my torture on her other nipple. Elena writhing against me was becoming too difficult to contain. I gently removed her top as I continued my exploration down her stomach, stopping to nibble at either side of her perfect figure. As I reached her waist, I slid her pajama pants off and took her lacy panties between my teeth, pressing feather light kisses down her legs as I painfully slowly removed them from her body. I worked my way back up her legs and pressed soft, open mouth kisses against the apex of her thighs. My torture continued upward until my mouth reached hers and was soon devouring the taste of her tongue against mine. She was the most beautiful, amazing woman I had ever met, and she didn't even realize how truly amazing she made me feel, just by being around.  
Elena's breath had quickened during my adventures, as expected, so I let her take over. The next thing I knew, she had me on my back, nibbling at my collarbone, pressing open-mouthed kissed down my chest, dipping her tongue into my naval and eliciting a guttural groan from my mouth. She ripped my pajama pants off in haste and slid my boxers down my legs with inhuman speed. My girl knew when she wanted something and exactly how to get it. She flicked her tongue over the tip of my member and I practically thrust myself off the bed at the sensation.  
"Christ, Lena." I gasped as she worked her way back up to my mouth. She was taking her sweet fucking time too. Couldn't be having any of that. I grabbed her and pulled her into an intensely passionate kiss. When our lips parted again, I was on top of her, she was gasping my name, and I was positioned between her legs at her entrance. I nibbled on her lower lip with my blunt teeth and she bit me back with hers. I couldn't take it any longer. I slid into her to the hilt with one quick, hard thrust. I stilled for a moment so she could get used to me. Then we were off, a mess of limbs and kisses, moans and whispered "I love you"s. We were two puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly and when we were together, there was nothing that could stop us. We were two halves of a whole, without the other, incomplete.  
Sweet Jesus, I am turning into a woman. I have got to stop reading Elena's books.

* * *

"Elena!" Bonnie called as I finished putting on my makeup. "Let's get outta here!" Caroline chimed in. Those two sure could whine. Why on Earth we were doing a day trip to the beach on a Wednesday was beyond me, but I couldn't complain. A whole day laying out on the sand with best friends, drinking and just being girls was exactly what I needed. Bonnie wanted to be able to wear her swim suit as much as possible before Baby D caused problems with it fitting. Care and I couldn't wait to see Bonnie with her belly taking up most of her small frame. Precious wasn't even going to begin to cover that image.  
I made my way out of the bathroom and saw Damon standing at the window, sipping on a glass of bourbon and staring out at what looked to be a beautiful day. "Blondie and witchy are getting impatient. Better hurry up." He prodded as his stare moved over my bikini-clad body.  
"Please promise me you'll be good, Damon." I couldn't help but beg him to keep his cool. "Don't worry babe, I've got myself under control, just go enjoy yourself and relax." He responded as he placed a kiss on my forehead. I smiled up at him and placed a passionate kiss upon his lips before skipping out the door.  
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Bonnie and Caroline were waiting with huge beach bags full of towels, lotion, alcohol, and god knows what else. Care was carrying a big beach umbrella and Bonnie was holding two bags, one of which must be mine. I took it from her as we followed Caroline out the door to the jeep. Rebecca and Katherine were waiting on the front porch steps. When we came through the front door, they both hopped up and followed to the jeep.  
As Bonnie sat shotgun, pumped the A/C on, and chatted with Rebecca about the latest developments regarding the Klaus situation, Care and I packed the back of the jeep full to bursting.  
"Jeez, Care. I hope we have enough stuff for a single day at the beach." Katherine rolled her eyes as she walked around and climbed into the back seat. "Ha ha Pierce." Care said as she shut the hatch. I climbed in next to Katherine as Caroline climbed into the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition, "Ready to do this, ladies?" She looked at Bon, who even with the A/C was fanning her self as she nodded, and then turned around to look at me, Kat and Rebecca. All three of us obediently nodded and she put the jeep in drive and away we flew to paradise...for the day.  
It's a damn good thing vampires can get sunburns...well, other than literally burning to death...so it's damn good all vampires present had daylight stones.

* * *

I watched as the ladies left, a knowing smile creeping its way across my face. Now for the preparations to begin...  
I left my bedroom and found Stefan, Matt, Elijah, and Tyler in the foyer, presumably watching their respective ladies as they left for the beach. I cleared my throat and four faces with equally knowing smiles spread across their faces turned around to look at me.  
"Let's get to work, guys. It is just after 10:30 and the ladies will be back when?" I looked to Stefan. "Care said she would keep Elena preoccupied until at least 8 tonight. Bonnie filled Kat and Becca in on our little plan while you had Elena...otherwise occupied."  
I didn't miss the small grimace that graced my brother's face as he finished. Stupid son of a bitch. Anyways, everything was going according to plan and tonight was it, make or break.  
"Alright then, Tyler and Stefan, tackle the back yard, make it extra pretty." I batted my eyelashes to emphasize my point.  
"Me and Elijah will start cooking. Lots to do, little time and all that good stuff." I sighed.  
"What about me?" I turned at the sound of the voice.  
"Ahh, I knew we were missing someone. Ric, you can oversee these idiots with the landscaping." I gestured toward my piece of shit baby brother and the only hybrid other than Klaus that I even tolerated. Alaric needed to know what I now knew, but it could wait another day.  
"You got it, buddy. Mere wanted me to tell you, Stef, that she's gone into town to help the cops and do the autopsy on April."  
"Thanks, man." Said the monster.  
"Okay, enough talk. Lets do this."  
Tonight was going to be the end in one way or another, all I could hope was that it would also be the beginning of something new...


	13. Bittersweet Memories

**Coming Home: Bittersweet Memories**

**I'm just going to say now, this isn't really a chapter, but it's helpful for you to understand everything. It sucked to write, and I had to hold myself back from getting too graphic. Anyways, if you have issues with domestic violence, then skip this. It isn't vital for the storyline, but it helps. **

**Oh and for god sakes, it's fiction. Stelena shippers or Stefan stans, I apologize for making Stefan a monster. I actually like the character, but this is Delena and so, it is what it is.**

**You have been warned. Last chance to not read this and hate Stefan.**

* * *

_**5 years ago, Atlanta **_

"Hey Bon. Wha-" I stopped in my tracks in the foyer of the apartment I shared with Bonnie and Matt. Stefan was sitting in our living room, chatting with Matt over drinks. How had Bonnie forgotten to tell me? She didn't forget when Damon came through looking for me, or Caroline either. How had he managed to sneak in like this?

Stefan and Matt's conversation ended when they heard my voice. Before Matt could stop him, Stefan ran into the foyer and swept me into his arms. Since I'd only just turned my emotions on, I was a little...volatile. I vamped out and threw him through the front door. As I leapt for him, more specifically for his throat, Bonnie arrived, looking as shocked as I had felt moments ago. She paralyzed me with her brain thingy and I fell off of my ex boyfriend, clutching my head in agony.

"Um, hey Stefan. Looks like you found Elena. Hehe" Matt shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck as he exited the apartment. Bonnie shot her boyfriend a death glare and he quickly retreated back into the apartment, presumably to cook dinner.

"What the hell are you doing here, Stefan?" Bonnie spat out as she released me from my inner hell. "No call? No text? Nothing!" She scolded as Stefan brushed himself off and stood.

"I figured you knew where Elena was. I wanted to see her, to help her. Little did I know you'd been hiding her here all along!" He scolded right back.

"Guys, I'm right here." I finally said, with a giggle. At the sound, Stefan visibly relaxed.

"Your humanity. You turned it back on." Stefan said with a broad smile across his face. He held his arms out and I ran to hug him.

"Sorry about attacking you. It's only been a few weeks since I turned it all back on and I don't have a grip on the emotions yet." I whispered as we embraced.

"It's fine, 'Lena." He said as he released me. "I'm going to be in town for about a month. How about we work on those emotions while I'm here? If it's ok with Bonnie and Matt for me to stay." Stefan said, cautiously looking to Bonnie for approval.

"Of course you can stay, Stef. Just make yourself at home." Bonnie said with a smile.

* * *

"Ok, Elena, you know where to reach us if you and Stefan need anything." Bonnie said as Matt loaded the last of the luggage into their jeep. Bonnie and Matt were going to the beach for a week, leaving Stefan and myself on our own for his last week in Atlanta. The past three weeks seemed to fly by. Little by little, Stefan helped me to reign in my over active emotions. It had been really good hanging out with him. I could tell that he still had feelings for me, but I never knew how to tell him I didn't feel the same anymore, and there never seemed to be a right time. We had rebuilt our friendship this past month and it gave me hope that things would work out for the best.

Stefan and I waved goodbye to the couple as they rode off to paradise. We were truly alone for the first time in the apartment I called home now.

Stefan went inside and poured himself a bourbon. As he drank it, he eyed me carefully. I had returned to reading Nicholas Sparks on the couch across from Stefan. I could feel his eyes on my body as I lay there and read. When he came to sit next to me, I shivered a little, something about him wasn't sitting right with me. "Hey Stef, what's up?" I tried to sound as calm as possible.

"Elena, you know I'm still in love with you, it has to be obvious." Oh for god sakes. Here we go...

"Yeah Stefan, I'm well aware of your feelings for me. I've been wanting to talk to you about, well, us I guess. Listen, I really care about you Stef, but-"

I was cut short by his lips against mine. I was entirely grossed out. I struggled against him, trying to break free. He was older and stronger than me, so my fighting was useless. When he started removing my clothes, I doubled my efforts to stop him. This was not happening. This couldn't be happening. I bit his lip with my fangs and he reared back, finally allowing me room enough to get out from under him. I took off at vamp speed toward the door, but he was faster. I looked up into his leafy green eyes and realized what had just happened when I broke his heart. He'd turned it off. He was older, stronger, and faster than me. And he had just turned off his humanity. This was beyond not good. He hit me across the room and a scream escaped from my lips. I knew that this was only the beginning too...

The next three days, I was constantly vervained and beaten within what would be an inch of my life, were I still human. Throughout it all, he kept trying to convince me that I was still in love with him. That it would always be him. But I had made a promise to myself when I turned it all back on: no more lies. It would never be Stefan again and although I knew it would hurt for him to hear, I knew he needed to so that he could move on and find his own happiness. Never did I think I would be in this position.

Was I tempted to turn it off again? Absolutely. But I knew now the regret I would feel if I did when I turned it all back on again. I wasn't ever going through that hell again.

"St-Stefan...why are you d-doing this?" I mumbled as I weakly struggled against my restraints. The vervain burned like hell and kept me from being able to heal.

He finally let me out of my restraints on Thursday. He said he didn't want anyone knowing what happened, so he needed me healed.

What Damon must have witnessed was Friday evening. Katherine showed up unannounced and saw the state I was in. She compelled Stefan to forget that he ever saw me and then threw his sorry ass out of the apartment.

She helped me recover, at least physically, from the trauma of the previous week. By Saturday afternoon when Bonnie and Matt returned, it was as if nothing had happened. Not a scratch on me and everything cleaned up.

The only people who knew what really happened were me and Katherine. I stayed away from Falls Church because I didn't want to face Stefan and the things he had done to me. When I found out he and Caroline were getting married, I couldn't be present, because I knew the monster she was really marrying. I couldn't do anything to stop her either, since I was still "hiding."

I realized soon after the whole ordeal that Stefan never turned it off. I would meet up with Katherine frequently to talk and vent. One day I mentioned how he had turned his humanity off when I told him I didn't love him. She gasped and told me "Stefan's humanity was never off. He knew exactly what he was doing. He's lucky I care about him or else I would have ended him right there."

* * *

Obviously I was surprised at the news of Caroline becoming pregnant, but at the same time, I was worried for her and her child. Who knew what Stefan was capable of. I also felt hope for myself. I always wanted children and this crazy miracle gave me hope to see that dream come to fruition one day...maybe.

So that's what happened. That's why I stayed away. That's what I had been so afraid of Damon knowing. Now he knows, and you do too.


	14. Belong

Coming Home Chapter 13: Belong

**After that last semi-chapter, it's time to get back to the story, right? I promise, this chapter is magnificent. Seriously, I'll be waiting for reviews of love and happiness and unicorns. ; )  
I own nothing, but if the Nian breaking up rumors are true, hopefully one day I'll own Ian's heart?**

"Ow, ow, ow..." Bonnie said as the five of us trudged our way back to the jeep after spending literally all day on the beach. Poor Bonnie, being the only human, was burnt. Even though she stayed under the umbrella all day, her fair skin sensed the sunlight and burned anyway. Haha. The worst part was none of us were willing to risk giving her some of our blood to heal her because of what that blood may or may not do to baby D.  
"Seriously? None of you will give this poor burnt pregnant woman a drop of your magical healing blood? Ugh." Bonnie rolled her eyes as the other four of us looked at one another and tried to stifle smiles in response to her over reaction.  
"Bon, you do realize you're a witch, right? You can just do some anti-sunburn spell and vioala, you're magically cured." I said, turning around to face her as she came up behind me. I couldn't help the smartass grin that found its way onto my face.  
"Son of a- I did forget."  
Caroline gasped. "Wait, so now I have a partner in ditziness?!"  
"Looks like it, for another, oh, seven months?" Katherine replied. At Care's giddiness, Rebekah vamped to the car before she could be reeled into the hug fest about to take place. I liked her thinking. I followed and we watched from the safety of the car as Caroline hugged the living shit out of poor Bonnie who I suspected was blushing. There was no way to tell, she was red all over.  
"You guys suck." Caroline said as she opened the hatch to replace the beach items we'd been using all day. She promptly stuck her tongue out. I couldn't resist, I turned around in my seat, made sure to make eye contact with her, vamped for a second and baring my fangs. "I know we do." I smugly responded and then I stuck my tongue back out at her. The entire car burst into hysterics. Even me. She chuckled as she shut the door and climbed into the drivers seat to take us all back to Falls Church. On the ride home, everyone had knowing smiles plastered to their faces.  
Something was going. Nothing good could result from all these women being able to keep the same secret, whatever it was.

_7pm: Salvatore Boarding House_

Stefan was standing on the back patio, directing Alaric and Tyler who had between them a gigantic marble fountain we'd been meaning to put in the back yard for ages. Somewhere along the line, Alaric and Stefan had switched places and Stefan was calmly standing with his head cocked to one side.  
"Little more to the left. Perfect!" With a grunt both men dropped the base of the marble fountain the remaining inch to the ground.  
I walked out and took in the scenery. "Guys, this is perfect. Thanks so much. She's going to be astounded." I said, truly in awe of what these three had done in such short time.  
The fountain flowed in the center of a rose garden that my mother used to have. Stefan had managed to find rose bushes this morning to plant in the exact place where the old ones stood so many years ago. Roses in every color dotted the miniature maze that led to the fountain in the center.  
The rest of the back yard was cut and strands of white lights had been draped over the ancient sycamore, oak, and maple trees that sporadically lined the edges of the property in the back. The lights weren't on yet, but when they were, the whole scene would look like a fairy tale.  
I had spent literally all day in the kitchen with Elijah cooking Elena's favorite meal.  
"Care says they're on their way back now, should be here by 8." Stefan called from the patio. It was crunch time.

Stefan, Matt, Tyler and Alaric went upstairs to shower and collect Klaus before heading out to Atlanta for the night to drink and get Klaus' mind off of everything that had happened recently. Elijah washed up as well and waited in a tux to greet Elena when she got home. Everything was going to plan, so far.

I went upstairs to my room and took a hot shower. I entered the bedroom and put on a pair of black dress pants, white dress shirt, black bow tie, dress shoes, and black jacket. The bouquet of roses I had for Elena lay on the bed. She would definitely freak when she saw those, I thought to myself and a smile spread across my face. This was going to be epic. One way or another. I looked at the clock and read 8pm on the dot. I heard the jeep roll up the driveway and knew...  
It was show time.

* * *

Caroline out of the blue (well, not so much for her) decided to stop off on our way back into town to dress shop. She insisted on buying me a dress that I particularly liked, mostly because it looked eerily similar to the dress I wore to my first Miss Falls Church pageant. The color was dead on, but the shape of the dress was more mature. The neckline dove lower and it was tea length instead of floor length. It had what I'd always called poof in it, making the skirt fluffier. Caroline demanded that I try it on with these black strapped stilettos. I did look stunning. A she rung it all up and paid, I tried to get forgetful to spill the details of what the hell was going on.  
"Okay Bonnie, spill. What awaits me when we get home?"  
"What the hell are you talking about, Lena? I don't remember anything about something going on." She replied. I could tell she was telling the truth. Poor thing, her memory was already haywire and she wasn't even through her first trimester. I conceded defeat and allowed myself to fall prey to whatever awaited me at home. Things got even weirder before we left, though. I was left in the fitting room without anything to wear but that damn dress and shoes. Very odd...even for Caroline. I decided to roll with it and fix up my hair while I was at it. By the end of the whole ordeal I looked damn sexy.  
The rest of car ride home was eerily quiet. Something huge was up, I just knew it. God help me, what was I walking into?  
We rolled up the driveway, having passed what looked to be all the guys heading in the opposite direction. I was beyond confused. Why would Caroline insist on dolling me up if no one was home? She put the car in park and I got out. Katherine grabbed the door and shut it, locking it before I could get back to it. Caroline waved innocently and then backed the jeep up, turning around and heading in the same direction the guys were going.  
Shit. What the hell wa-  
"Miss Gilbert?" I heard Elijah's soft voice ask from behind me. I turned and gasped. There stood Elijah in a tux. He was beautiful. He offered his hand and I took it as he assisted me up the stairs in my stilettos.  
"Why, thank you Mr. Mikelson." I replied in my best southern accent. He guided me to the front door and as I turned to ask him what was going on, he disappeared. Seriously? Who or what in the almighty was on the other side of that door?  
Fear gripped me as I slowly turned the knob on he front door and gently pushed it open. My mouth fell open and tears welled up in my eyes as I took in the scene before me.  
Damon fucking Salvatore was standing in the main room, a fire blazing in the fireplace. He had a glass of champagne in each hand and the most contented, beautiful smile I'd ever seen on any man, ever. He was wearing a suit that fit him in all very right places and made me feel hot all over. He offered me one of the champagne flutes and I took it from his outstretched hand, never breaking eye contact. I was swimming in a sea of cobalt and I could have drowned in it and died the happiest woman ever.  
He offered his arm and I linked mine with his. "Shall we?" Was all he said as he nodded his head in the direction of the dining room. Of course I said yes and went very willingly with him.  
Again the tears threatened behind my eyes as I took in this scene. Two places were set up, a blood red candle burned between he settings and the food was awaiting us under silver plate covers. I could smell it all already. Damon had cooked every one of my favorite foods. He guided me to my seat, pulled my chair for me and gently pushed me toward the table, placing a feather soft kiss to my temple as he went. He sat across from me and counted to three.  
"1...2...3." We both uncovered our plates at the same time. Apricot-Cranberry Salad with Pecans, Fetticuini Alfredo, cinnamon glazed apples, and home made chocolate ice cream lay before me. It was unbelievable.  
Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked up at Damon, who was wearing the most genuine smile I'd ever seen him have.  
"Wh-what is this? How did you? Why?" Was all I could manage. He had literally rendered me speechless.  
"Because you deserve it, Elena. I wanted to give you the evening you should have had all those years ago."  
It was all I could do not to sob, so instead I asked another question.  
"But, how did you know my favorite foods?" I knew I had never told him before...or had I?  
"Because I know you Elena. You've been by favorite topic of study all this time." He replied. My answering smile practically split my face in half.  
"Now lets eat, the evening has only started." He looked at me with his signature smirk and I knew I was in for it, whatever it was.

* * *

Elena looked even more amazing than I'd ever thought possible. I needed to remember to thank Caroline tomorrow. Having over a hundred years under my belt helped me to hide the utter terror flowing though my veins as I guided her toward the feast. Her reaction to it all almost made me forget the plan. She kept almost crying and although she probably thought she was hiding the tears well, I knew her too well for them to go unnoticed. This was going to get wet.  
We ate in comfortable silence. When we finished, those feelings of utter terror returned to my gut. This was where it was do or die. Deep breaths, Salvatore. I pressed the button on the remote next to me and "I Have and I Always Will" by Dave Barnes begins to play on the patio.

_**I guess it's because I just do  
Following heaven's clues  
This is a big mystery  
How I found you found me...**_

* * *

Damon takes my hand and pulls me into his arms in front of the fireplace. Lost in the moment, all I can do is lose myself in his scent, the warmth of his hand as it slowly strokes my back through my dress. He pulls me close and whispers "You look magnificent, Elena Gilbert." I blush as he pulls away to look me in the eyes. What he says next makes a few stray tears stream down my face. Thank god I didn't put any makeup on.

**_And you are changing now  
You're part of me somehow  
And I will never be alone_**

**_In your darkest hours  
Will I love you still?  
I have and I always will_**

* * *

"I love you so much, Elena. So much that it hurts when you're not right next to me." I choke back tears as the comment leaves my lips.

I watch as tears stream down Elena's face. I gently wipe them away with the pads of my thumbs. My hands remain on either side of her face, rubbing soft circles on her cheeks. Slowly, slower than I thought I could ever move again, I bring her lips to mine. The kiss we share in that moment, to that song, in front of the fireplace where our whole relationship formed, is filled with every moment we've ever shared, every feeling we suppressed. It's a gentle kiss, a deep kiss, the type of kiss only two people who were meant to be together could share.  
As our lips part, I watch the tears fill her eyes, but remain there, refusing to fall.

**_I have and I always will_**

* * *

"I love you too, Damon."  
"I've got something to show you..." Damon says as he pulls me toward the back door that leads to the back patio. The song fades and a new one begins. Just before he opens the door, he abruptly turns to me and kisses each of my hands as he holds them in his.  
The door opens and I am once again rendered speechless.  
Norah Jones' "The Long Day Is Over" plays as I take in the fairy tale that was just this morning nothing more than a back yard.  
White lights twinkle in the trees that line the back yard. A miniature rose maze is planted where stumps used to be. Red, yellow, pink, orange, and purple roses line the path that leads to the most beautiful marble fountain I have ever seen. Lights twinkle from the gazebo erected around the fountain and thin translucent curtains are tied aside around the pillars holding up the roof. Rose petals cover the path of the maze. I look over to Damon and realize he's been watching my reaction this whole time.  
"Damon, this is...wow. It's like..."  
"...a fairy tale? Yeah, it is. And to make it magical, these are for you." He says as he produces from behind his back a bouquet of two dozen BLUE roses. Blue!  
"Oh my god. Damon, they're beautiful." I gasp as I take them from his extended hands.  
"Yeah, they're alright. I figured you could show them how to be beautiful, though." He smiles my favorite smile and I place a kiss on his lips.  
"Thank you." I say as he takes my hand and we walk through the maze.  
"So those stumps were your mother's rose garden?" I ask.  
"Yeah. She would have loved you, 'Lena. I wish like hell you could meet her."  
"Me too."

The song ends and a song I've never heard before begins playing...

**_Wake up lonely with you by my side  
One more night it doesn't feel  
There are movies playing in your eyes  
You dream of our fortunes..._**

We reach the fountain. And I realize that Damon is nervous. He can't be...

**_The moon is the only friend I have outside  
One more drink and I'll be healed  
I told you the words and then knew it was a lie  
I wish I could offer an appeal_**

* * *

So much for hiding my nervousness. It's time. Before Elena can start talking, I go for it.

"Elena, you know I've loved you ever since I first laid eyes on you all those years ago. You were my brother's girl and all. I never thought I would have even the slightest chance to make you mine. Then he left you. And I watched that summer as you fell out of love with him and miraculously in love with me. You fought against your feelings for all those months. Then you died..."

**_What I'd give for that first night when you were mine  
Tried with all that I have to keep you alive_**

"I remember when I realized you were dead, not knowing how Meredith had saved you. My entire existence stopped right there. Any kind of life without you in it isn't worth living to me. That damn sire bond messed everything up and then you turned it off, because I told you to. You walked out on me that morning and although it stung, just knowing you were out there somewhere, I could keep going until you came back to me."

**_I wasn't taught this way  
With a thousand things to say  
I was born with a broken heart_**

"Seeing you walk through that door last week, and everything that's happened since. I cannot imagine another day where you aren't next to me, Elena. I love you so damn much. No words or actions will ever be able to even begin to show you the depth of my love for you. The way I feel whenever you're near. I don't deserve you. I've been a jerk, I've put you through so much. But still, you accept me. I'll never understand why, but I'll never ever take a second of your love for granted. You complete me, Elena."

**_What I'd give for that first night when you were mine  
Thought you were mine_**

"Elena Gilbert, sweetheart, I have to ask you...will you marry me?"  
At this point I've made it down onto one knee and as I say the last sentence, I open the ring box and present it to her. She's sobbing at this point.

**_So I'll put this cigarette to bed  
Pull some sheets from off your side_**

* * *

"Damon Salvatore. You have made me question everything. You've done unspeakably horrible things. You've hurt me so many times..."  
"But I love you. More than anything or anyone I've ever known. You've made me feel alive more so after death than before. I fought for so long to not feel anything for you, but it was useless. I was meant all along to love you. To be yours." A smile breaks across my face as I think about every moment he and I have shared.

"You are the love of my existence. So yes, Damon. I will marry you." I say with a face splitting grin and tears flooding my face.

**_I put my arm around you safe in the night  
Still dreaming of fortune_**

He stands and slides the ring on my finger. We both look up at the same time and as the song ends, I leap into his arms, my mouth crushing his with passion, excitement, and above all, love.  
Damon deserves me. I intend to make him believe that. We have all of eternity, after all.

**_But you're wrong  
I don't belong  
You're wrong  
I don't belong  
I don't belong_**

* * *

Elena's speech causes my own tears to fall. I, Damon Salvatore, age 162, am weeping. I slide the ring onto her finger and the next thing I know, she's in my arms, kissing me with passion, excitement and love. I kiss her back with all of that and something else, too. Awe. This woman just agreed to spend forever with me. Not Stefan, me.

Time stops for us both. We stand there in front of the fountain and make out until the sun rises on a new day, and a new life I never thought would actually happen...


	15. Nothing Like You and I

**Coming Home Chapter 14: Nothing Like You and I**  
_By: The Perishers_

**Sorry for the delay, but I've been overcome with other things. Nonetheless, there are incredible things to come. **

**Read, review, and I love you forever.**

The sun streams through the windows on either side of the bed. A gentle breeze wafts in and blows the deep purple curtains around as I lay wrapped in the blood-red sheets of Damon's bed. His soft snores are the only sound in the empty mansion. Last night had been...magical. That's the only word I can think of to explain the most perfect evening I've ever experienced. I look to the green glass vase on the dresser that now holds the two dozen blue roses and remember everything he said.  
In my wildest dreams, I never thought that he could render me that speechless. The tears that spilled from his eyes as he held me, the twinkling of the lights in that sweet early summer night. A silent tear escapes my eye as I look down at our interlocked hands. The ring he gave me last night glistens in the early morning light.  
The simple rose gold band holds a cobalt blue sapphire with yellow diamonds set all around it. The center stone reminds me of the man who gave it to me. It even glistens in the light that same way as his eyes do when the sun hits them.  
It's perfect. In this moment I feel perfect. The satin sheets shift as Damon rouses in his sleep, mumbling something about someone approving of me. I turn over to watch him sleep, a hobby I've recently taken up full force. In those moments where he is in a deep sleep and looks so peaceful, so content, that's where I can really see the man inside of him come out on his face. He puts out this ridiculous persona that annoys people. Until I fell in love with him, I believed that annoying man was who he was. But the moment my heart stopped listening to reason and gave itself over to him, I saw the man I was now going to marry. Ever since, it's the only version of Damon I see.  
A smile slowly spreads over his face and for a moment, I see the little boy who grew up well over a century ago.  
"Don't leave me, mommy." He mutters as his face falls and a tear falls from the corner of his eye. I just watch in some mixture of horror and awe as that little boy loses his mother all over again.  
That's when I put it together. He's been talking to his mother about me. She gave him her approval. A smile makes its way onto my face as tears begin to fall from my own eyes.  
My heart hurts for that little boy, and for the man who clearly still adores his mother. It's impossible, but I wish that somehow I could bring her back, for Damon to have his mom back again. The floodgates open as I realize how impossible it really is. I must have let out a sob because in that moment, he wakes up and the concern on his face is immediate.  
"Elena, what's the matter? Talk to me." I try to comfort as I pull her into my arms. She doesn't respond, only continues crying. I send out my vampire senses and when I detect that we aren't in any threat, I relax a little.  
"I ju-just was watch watching you and you were talking to your mom an and then you whimpered and told her no not to leave an and I felt bad, so...yeah." She blubbers into my chest. I rest my chin atop her head and stroke her back as a tear falls from my eyes.  
"It's ok 'Lena. I dream about her all the time. Don't feel bad for me, baby. She visits me in my dreams. It makes me happy." I try to soothe her. If everyone gets home right now, I'm a dead man. A crying Elena usually means I did something wrong and Stefan will try to kick my ass.  
I actually wouldn't mind that today, after what I learned from Elena the other day.  
She pulls away, wiping the remaining tears from her face and looks at me, a smile breaking across her face.  
"Good morning." She finally says, feeling embarrassed by her crying. I smile back down at her and say, "Good morning, princess." I press a kiss to her forehead and return to playing with her hair, resting my head on the crown of hers.  
We both look down at the reminder of what happened last night. I think back to last night, after we managed to pry ourselves away from one another. She asked me where on earth I got the ring. I told her the story behind it and why only she could ever wear it.  
"When my mother died, she left things to me and Stefan. He never knew about the ring because she died the day he was born. I remembered her wearing that ring every day. She left it to me with a note telling me to give it to the woman that challenges me every day and consumes me mind body and soul. I loved Katherine, I suppose, but she never consumed me like you do. She never really challenged me to be a better man. You do, Elena. My mother described in that note everything you are to me. She wore that ring for 15 years. It was her wedding ring. My father said he bought it because it reminded him of her eyes." I explained.  
"So you inherited her eyes?" Elena asked.  
"And hair and devilishly good looks." I wink at her, my smirk breaking across my face.  
Looking at Elena's hand now, there's no one else that that ring could ever belong to. It looks like it was made to rest on her finger for all of eternity.  
"Still admiring that ring I see." I joke, earning a playful slap across the chest. I press a kiss to the crown of her head and sit back. She climbs into my lap and places her legs on either side of me. Her lips descend upon mine and I'm flying. I grasp her head between my hands and deepen the kiss until we're both fighting for breath. She pulls away and I react instantly, pinning her beneath me in a passionate kiss as my hands roam over her incredible body.

* * *

Hours later I emerge from our bedroom to get a snack. As I reach the bottom of the stairs, the front door bursts open and I'm tackled by Jeremy. He babbles about what he and the girls did. Unbeknownst to me, Katherine had sped in and retrieved Jeremy from his bed and brought him with them wherever they went last night. It sounded like a giant slumber party at a local bed and breakfast. Before I could respond, he took off upstairs, no doubt to give Damon the same treatment I just received.  
"UNKIE DAMON!" A door slam, and a loud grunt were all I heard. Yeah, Damon was getting it right now. I quietly laughed to myself.  
I made my way downstairs and returned, bloodbag in hand as Caroline, Katherine, a still severely burnt Bonnie, and Rebekkah came through the front door carrying all the beach paraphonilia from yesterday. Caroline suddenly drops everything she was carrying...on Katherine's foot, and runs over to me squealing as only Caroline Salvatore can. Ignoring the death glare and obscenities being tossed her way, Caroline begins hopping up and down while still squealing. I finally have to grab her by the shoulders to keep her on the ground.  
"You said YES. Oh my god, oh my god, OH MY GOD WE'RE GONNA BE SISTERS!" She finally screams and then, gasping for air, sits down. "I have to know EVERYTHING. NOW." She demands, patting the seat next to her.  
I reluctantly sit beside her, knowing what's about to happen. Caroline tackles me as I sit and refuses to release me from her bear hugging ways until I bite her. Playfully, of course. Mostly playfully.  
As I begin to recall the previous evening's events, Rebekkah and Katherine return from putting away the beach stuff.  
"Does she ever come down from crazy?" Rebekkah asks, studying her nails as she and Katherine seemingly glide into the room side by side.  
"Not that I've witnessed..." Katherine groans as she takes in the scene before her.  
Sitting down across from me, both women look interested in the nights events so I backtrack and start over.  
"When I walked in he was standing in front of the fireplace with a glass of champagne..."

* * *

I knew I shouldn't have let Elena out of the bedroom today. No sooner had I heard our bedroom door close, I heard the squeal squad's captain leap out of the jeep and come barreling in the front door. I release a heavy sigh and try to sink as far into the bed as I possibly can, just to muffle the squeals about to commence in three...two..."AHHHHH! You said YES!..."  
I'm distracted from the girly ranting going on below by the lingering scent of Elena on my pillowcase. I debate saving Elena for the next hour but realize that until she tells the squeal squad about last night, we will never get a moment of peace and quiet again.  
I finally tire of listening and decide to get dressed and try to get the hell out of here without being ambushed by the very blonde, very annoying vampire. As I'm about to open the door, I hear a knock on the other side.  
"Unkie Damon?" Jeremy whispers. I immediately open the door to a horrified looking child. "What's wrong, buddy?" I ask, trying to hide the terror threatening to engulf me. Here we go again...  
"I'm scared. Mommy's squeals hurt my ears and they're all so loud and squeaky!" He frowns. I let out a hearty laugh before swinging him up into my arms.  
"That's girls for you, my little man. You'll get used to it...maybe. For now, lets make like a tree..."  
"And leaf?" Jeremy finishes, giggling as I vamp-speed us out the front door before any of the ladies know what happened or worse, try to follow. Jumping into my Camero, I look over to my small partner in crime and ask, "ice cream?" I take Jeremy's frantic nodding as a yes and away we go to get the largest ice cream cone we can find and try to wait out the hormonal volcano taking place back home...

* * *

"Ok. So what colors are you thinking? Is there a date set? Where are you going to do it? Are you-"  
"Shut up, Caroline!" Katherine yells, obviously having never experienced Caroline in her natural habitat. When we were kids, I always wanted to be a writer. Caroline was determined to be a designer of some sort. Obviously that was a dream she still held...  
"Kat. Be nice. Caroline, I have no idea when or where the wedding will be. For God sakes, I haven't even been engaged for 24 hours. Spring sounds nice. Maybe May? I don't know, but believe me, you'll be the first to know when Damon and I figure it out." I soothed, smiling at my blonde friend.  
"You better." She threatens, pointing a French manicured finger in my direction. She stalks off in the direction of the kitchen and Rebekkah and Katherine release a simultaneous sigh of relief.  
"So, you're going to be Salvatore." Katherine says with a smirk. "At least one of the Pertrova bloodline infiltrated the Salvatore men." She giggles and Rebekkah flat out falls over laughing. "Bekkah, you are such a perv. I didn't mean it like that." Katherine gets out between laughs.  
I sit there laughing, although I manage to remain in a seated position, unlike poor perverted Rebekkah. It's moments like these that I never would have thought possible ten years ago. For Rebekkah and Katherine to be friends and both be close with me? Never could have happened back then. Too much ego, too many personal issues, too much drama. But now we've each gotten past our...well, pasts, and can share a house without murder taking place...wait, April. Shit.  
Ok, none of us killed her, so my statement still stands.  
"Hey guys, where's Bonnie?" I finally ask, trying to catch my breath from laughing.  
"I think she's upstairs laying down. She hasn't felt well all day. Poor preggo." Katherine says lightheartedly.  
"Well ladies," I say, placing my hands on my knees and rising from the couch," if we're done with this girly fest, I think I'm going to go check on Bonnie and fill her in." The rest of the women nod their heads and I make my way upstairs and down the hall to Bonnie and Matt's room.  
When I reach their door, I can hear Bonnie's soft snores. I crack open the door and tiptoe over to the bed she's sleeping on. I come up behind her and wrap my arms around her. When we were kids and one of us was scared during a sleepover, the other would come up behind then other and hold her until she felt better.  
Bonnie rouses and rolls over, grinning when she realizes its me. I can't help but smile back.  
"Bon, I'm engaged." I say, barely above a whisper.  
"Lena, I'm having a baby." Bonnie responds.  
And we both start crying and laughing at the same time.  
"Life is never going to be the same for us ever again, you know." Bonnie finally says, sniffling.  
"Yeah, I know. But somehow, I can't wait for the changes, you know? I feel like this is exactly where we're supposed to be, what we were meant to do." I say, pulling a still crying Bonnie toward me and resting my cheek on top of her head. I feel her nodding against me and we just lay there for a while. Bonnie finally breaks the silence.  
"Hey Elena? Do you think baby D is going to have my freckles?" We both laugh as she wipes the last tears from her face.

* * *

After Jeremy finishes his second ice cream cone, Stefan, Matt, Elijah, Klaus, and Tyler walk into the ice cream parlor, order their own ice creams and sit around the little guy who by this point has chocolate ice cream smeared all over his adorable face.  
"Gee Damon, thanks for getting my son high on sugar." Stefan has the gall to say to me after sitting down.  
"You and blonde are beyond welcome, baby bro." I reply, trying to come off as though I don't want to turn his pathetic ass inside out for what he did to Elena. But to keep the peace (temporarily) I continue to act my ass off.  
It's getting harder every day.  
"So where did you boys run off to last night?" I quickly change the subject.  
"We went to New Orleans and...partied." Klaus replies with his trademark devious look. It was creepily nice to see him acting more...Klaus-y. We all knew that this April thing was tearing him apart. Getting away seems to have done wonders for him.  
Tyler and Matt fill me in on the G rated version of last nights events while Jeremy plows through another bowl of ice cream, much to his father's dismay.  
After their recollection of what must have been an epic night, and I fill them in on the horrors I witnessed this morning at the house. Reluctantly, we all agree that it's time to head back and face the women. We pile into our cars and head to the mansion. We all cautiously approach the front door and I am silently elected to go first. Well, damn.

This day had been weird already, but it was about to get scary bad. And fast.


End file.
